Spyro: Elemental Legends
by Xabtiz
Summary: I know it's been a while since the Legend of Spyro games came out, but I came up with a brilliant story. The prologue and chapter one are not my content. These are just recaps of how Dawn of the Dragon ended. Chapter two starts my own content. My writing style has short chapters, so this will be quick. I do not own the content related to Spyro the Dragon.
1. Prologue and Chapter 1 and 2

SPYRO: ELEMENTAL LEGENDS

PROLOGUE: A LOST HERO

Spyro fought Malefor with all of his might. He put forth all his strength and will power. Malefor was strong. Almost too strong. He was beginning to think that he would not make it through this.

_No, _he thought, _stop thinking like that. The world is depending on you._

Malefor took off into the sky, flying high above them.

"Is he retreating?" Cynder, the dragon fighting with Spyro, asked.

"No," Spyro replied, "he's challenging us."

"Then let's go!" Cynder said excitedly.

They both followed Malefor. Spyro was starting to lose his strength. He looked over to Cynder, who was gracefully arcing into a glide. _As long as she is here,_ Spyro thought to himself, _I will always keep fighting._

"You cannot defeat me," Malefor shouted as Spyro and Cynder leveled with him, "I am eternal!"

Malefor blasted them with a dark power beam called Convexity. Spyro and Cynder countered his beam with identical ones.

"Just… hold… on." Spyro said weakly, though he wasn't sure if he could hold on himself.

Malefor's beam was broken, and it rebounded back towards him. He was caught off guard, and knocked back to the ground. He stood and was ready to strike again. But then, the spirits of ancient dragons appeared around him.

Malefor was astonished. "Wh…What is this?"

Each of the spirits grabbed one of Malefor's limbs, and dragged him into the ground. The last thing Spyro and Cynder heard from him was his screams of pain.

The ground began to split apart. Even with Malefor defeated, the Destroyer had already completed its ring. The world was coming to an end.

Cynder turned to Spyro. "Spyro… I'm sorry. I'm _so _sorry."

"Don't be," Spyro said, "it's over."

Cynder looked around. The world was literally falling apart one piece at a time. It couldn't be over, not yet. There had to be something else that could be done. One last bit of hope to grasp on to.

"So this is it?" Cynder asked, hoping for any answer besides yes.

Spyro closed his eyes. He heard a voice that was familiar. The voice that belonged to the dragon who sacrificed his own life, so that Spyro and Cynder could survive.

"_Spyro_" Ignitus's voice whispered, "_When a dragon dies, he does not truly leave this world. His spirit lives, binding itself with nature, offering hope for the future._"

Spyro opened his eyes, is mind ringing with newfound knowledge.

"I know what I need to do," Spyro said, "just get out of here Cynder."

"Spyro, No!" Cynder replied. "You don't have to do anything, let's just go!"

"Where Cynder? There will be nothing left. The world is falling apart. But I think I can stop it. I think I'm meant to."

Cynder was about to argue, but hesitated. She couldn't argue with him, because he was right. In just a few moments, there will be nowhere to go. She looked into his eyes. She couldn't, _wouldn't_, leave him behind.

"Then I'm with you." She said.

Spyro didn't bother arguing with her. He focused all his power to one thing. He had to pull the world back together. This will take a tremendous amount of power, enough to possibly kill him. And Cynder with him.

Cynder became worried. But Spyro looked so brave and confident. She couldn't help herself by smiling slightly. She only had one more thing to say before their final chapter came to an end.

"I love you."

Everything seemed to fade away.

CHAPTER 1: A NEW AGE

The elderly dragon, the Chronicler, studied many books carefully. This age was coming close to an ending. He had to chronicle the last chapters. He lifts his head as someone else enters the room.

"Be welcome, friend," he said to his guest, "I have long been expecting you. A new age is beginning. With each new age, a worthy dragon is chosen to chronicle the many triumphs and failures of that age. This has been my duty for many millennia. And now, Ignitus, I pass this honor to you."

Ignitus felt that he was ready for this task, even though he has done many things that he now regrets. He had many questions, but he decided to ask just one.

"And… what of Spyro? Is he…" Ignitus did not want to finish his question. He did not want to believe that Spyro could be… dead. The Chronicler knew what he was asking.

"Hmm." He responded, "That is the question, isn't it?"

The book that he was studying floated away, and another book floated in front of them both.

"You see," he continued, "each time a dragon dies, a new page is written in this book. I've done my best, but I can't seem to find any trace of Spyro."

The chronicler disappeared. Ignitus was transformed from his original red color, to the light blue colors of the Chronicler. The weight was now on his shoulders. It was now up to him to find Spyro, whether or not he was in this book.

"Well young dragon," he thought out loud, "where might you be?"

CHAPTER 2: A FRESH START

Cynder landed in a grassy field. Her wings were so tired and beaten. She looked around to attempt to find out where she was, but couldn't. Her vision was too blurry. She could tell that the field was teeming with wild-flowers and other plants, but there was one thing that she desperately needed to see; Spyro.

She scanned the area, but purple was the scarcest color in the field. Any purple she could spot was mostly large groups of flowers.

_BOOM!_ There was a large crash not far from where she was. She zoomed in that direction. She spotted a large _purple _figure lying on the ground.

"Spyro?" Cynder said hesitantly, "Spyro!"

She didn't get a response. He didn't even move. Cynder moved closer to him, and instantly searched for any signs of life.

"S-Spyro…?" No response.

"Spyro?!" She realized she was yelling, and instead searched for a heartbeat, breathing, or anything. She felt her own heart drop as she realized that there was nothing.

She couldn't bear to think that Spyro could be dead. Tears began to form in her eyes. _This can't be it, _she thought to herself. _The world was finally at peace, but I have to live it without the one I love._

The tears began to run down her face. She curled up next to Spyro's lifeless body, and closed her eyes. She knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep. Possibly never again.

She looked around one last time. This world was now safe, thanks to Spyro.

But _her_ world was crushed.

Somehow, Cynder managed to fall asleep. But she did not dream. It was just dark. She was just alone. No matter how many friends were around her, there will still be a dark spot in her heart that Spyro use to light up.

She woke up after just minutes to something wrapping around her shoulder. She immediately jumped upward, not knowing what to expect.

"No… Please don't… Leave."

Cynder's eyes lit up.

"Spyro! You're alive!" She shouted.

"Alive?" He responded. "Sure we'll go with that."

She smiled to him, and he smiled back. She realized that he was trying to hold her when she jumped. She curled up next to him again, and he wrapped his arm and wing around her.

Cynder relaxed, and looked around at the amazing scenery once again. This place was beautiful. The grass was a pure dark green, and there were flowers of every color, everywhere to be seen. Her eyelids became heavy. Now she could sleep with a clear mind, now that Spyro wass next to her. Alive.

"Cynder?" Spyro asked.

"Hm?" Cynder replied, barely awake.

"I love you too."

Cynder drifted to sleep.


	2. Chapter 3

(This is the shortest chapter in the story, longer ones will be coming later)

CHAPTER 3: A LOST LOVE

A pink dragon was sitting outside of her home village. She needed some time alone after the whole ground split the village in half, then came back together again. But no one was surprised. Even on normal nights, she would sit in this exact spot, every night for the past five years, for the exact same reason.

"Hey, Ember!" A voice called from the village. She jumped when she saw the red dragon right behind her.

"Hey Flame. What are you doing out here?" She asked.

"Same as you, waiting for Spyro." Flame responded.

"I thought you gave up on him." She said looking away from him. "You said that he's not coming back."

"Yeah, but after what happened tonight, I need a little hope. Besides, he _was_ my best friend. He was your friend too." Flame said.

"He was _more_ than a friend. He was my future husband." Ember corrected Flame.

"Ember," Flame said in a serious tone. "It's been five years; you still have that old obsession for Spyro?"

"Obsession?" Ember repeated, offended. Flame sensed danger, and stepped back. "I am in love with Spyro!" She continued, "And he loves me too. He promised me he would come back _for me_ once he saved the world."

"Actually, he just said he'll see you later." Flame said, pushing his luck.

"Flame!" Ember shouted with slight anger, "He's coming back!"

"I'm sure he is," Flame agreed, "but are you he's coming for you?"

Ember opened her mouth to argue, but hesitated. What if Flame was right? What if Spyro came back, and he didn't love her anymore? No, Spyro wouldn't do something like that. Ever since they met, Ember knew they were destined to be together. Forever. Spyro was hers, and no one else's.

Ember didn't understand why Flame called it an obsession. Almost everyone did. But Spyro never objected to their love. Well, now that she thought about it, he wasn't exactly willing to it either. But he was just being shy… right? She looked away from Flame.

After a few moments, Flame decided to break the awkward silence.

"Well," he said, "I'm heading back to the village. Are you coming along?"

"No." Ember said. "I'm staying right here."

"Whatever you say." Flame said as he walked away.

Ember looked back at Flame, and thought about what he said. These thoughts bothered her more than the thought of Spyro never coming back.

What is Flame was right about Spyro? What if he came back, and didn't love her anymore. Or worse, what if he came back, and loved someone else?

_Stop it,_ she thought to herself, _you need to stop thinking like that. Spyro loves you, and no one else. Just Ember._


	3. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4: REUNION

Spyro opened his eyes to a beautiful landscape. The land was now pure of any darkness that inhabited it before. The fact that he had no idea where he was didn't even matter, because of how amazing it looked. But even more beautiful was the dragon lying next to him, Cynder. She looked surprisingly stunning when she slept.

Spyro looked around. Observing the Sun's location, he guessed it was about nine in the morning. He stood on his still very sore legs, and stretched them. He noticed a small pond, and limped over to it to get a drink. Once he was refreshed, he took another look at the wonderful scenery.

Everything was perfect here. Even the water from the pond was perfectly clear. _What did Malefor have against this?_ Spyro thought to himself. _Why did he want to stop this so badly?_

Spyro sat down, getting lost in thought. How was it that he was still alive? He doubted that even Malefor himself could survive such a powerful and intense release of energy. Did that mean the he was… stronger than Malefor?

Spyro suddenly felt cold inside. Cold enough to make him shiver. His vision began to blur, and he felt extremely weak. Then he felt very alone.

Then he heard a voice. A voice never heard before, but instantly hated. _You will never be stronger than the Dark Master. No matter what strength you gain, you will always be second._

The voice wasn't spoken out loud, it was… in Spyro's head. He heard them as if they were his own thoughts. Did his battle with Malefor drive him completely insane?

_Insane? No, no, that's not why I'm here. _The voice said, reading Spyro's thoughts.

Spyro felt like breaking down. If anything, he just wanted this feeling to end.

"Spyro?" That was a different voice, but Spyro couldn't tell whose it was.

_Defeat the Elemental Legends, Spyro, or they will defeat you._ The voice continued, but slowly becoming quieter.

"Spyro!" The other voice was shouting now.

His vision cleared, and the feeling of dread drifted away from Spyro. He realized that Cynder had been the other voice he heard.

"Cynder?" Spyro said weakly.

"Spyro, what happened?" Cynder asked desperately.

"I…" Spyro hesitated. He did not want to make Cynder worry. "Nothing, I… was just thinking."

"Oh…" Cynder said, knowing that he wasn't telling her everything. She would ask him about it later.

Spyro tried to change the subject. "So, did you have a good sleep?"

"Yeah," Cynder replied, "Your shoulder makes a good pillow."

"Oh really?" Spyro said, smiling. "Rocks aren't nearly as great."

"You slept on a rock?" Cynder asked.

"Nope, I landed on a rock. It chose to be slept on."

Cynder gently pushed Spyro. "You should have said something."

"Yeah, but…" Spyro stopped, he felt like they were being watched. He looked over to some nearby bushes. Something was rustling in the bush, and he took a defensive stance.

"Stay back, Cynder." He said defensively. "Alright, whoever is there, come out slowly, and drop any weapons. Do as I say and I won't have to hurt you."

"Is that any way to talk to your brother?" A voice responded.

"Sparx? Is that you?" Spyro asked.

"Of course it's me! Who else would be out here looking for you?" Sparx said.

Cynder mockingly went into a defensive stance. "Stand back Spyro! This things voice will make you drop dead!"

"Ha ha, very funny." Sparx said. "You know when you're being ignored, right?"

"Hey you little…" Cynder replied.

"So," Spyro interrupted, "Sparx, where is everyone?"

Sparx seemed confused, and looked back. "They should be right…"

He was interrupted by a loud voice above them, "Spyro!" Terrador's powerful voice echoed across the sky. The Guardian of the Earth Element landed in front of them.

"It's good to see you alive, Terrador." Spyro said.

"As for you two as well." Terrador responded.

"Spyro!" Volteer, the Lightning Guardian, said as he landed next to Terrador. "It's excellent to see you again. Even more surprising was the fact that you survived through a release of energy with such great magnitude! I mean, the latest studies show that…

"Volteer, please." Cyril, the Ice Guardian said as he landed next to Volteer. "Spyro, your actions and bravery were remarkable."

"Thank you," Spyro said, "But I couldn't have done it without Cynder."

Cynder looked up proudly, but then blushed when she noticed Spyro smiling at her.

"Don't be so modest Spyro," Cynder said quietly. "You're the one that saved the world."

Spyro walked closer to Cynder. "But you were there with me when you had the chance to run away. If you didn't stay by my side, I most likely wouldn't be here to say anything to you, or anyone else. As long as you're here with me, I will stand against anything."

Cynder just stared back at him, stunned by everything he just said. After she realized that he had stopped talking, she smiled at him. "I'll always be with you, Spyro."

Sparx rolled his eyes, "You two are going to make me sick," he said as he made a vomiting gesture.

Spyro looked away from Cynder, both of them reminding themselves that others were there. Spyro looked at the group. "Where's Hunter?" He asked.

Cyril took a step forward, "He went… missing after the world was repaired. We do not know where he is, but he could not have gone far."

Spyro looked down, taking in what Cyril said. Hunter going missing? That's the oxymoron of the millennia.

Cynder broke in and changed the subject, "Where do we go from here?"

Terrador also stepped towards them. "Spyro, when you released your strength, not only did you repair the world, you also reshaped it. Our knowledge of the landscape, and maps that we own, are useless and outdated."

"So there's nowhere to go?" Spyro asked.

Volteer stepped forward. "Not precisely. Some smaller landmarks are still intact, but in a slightly different position. The Dragon Temple is one of these locations."

"We should head there then," Spyro suggested, "There we can get our bearings."

"The flight should only take a few hours." Terrador said, ready to take off.

"Actually," Spyro interrupted, "That's a problem. My wing is wounded, and I won't be able to fly." He stretched out his left wing to show them his injury. The wing was broken in several locations, and nearly dislocated from his shoulder.

"Then the walk will take weeks." Volteer said, somewhat franticly.

"Calm down Volteer," Cyril said, "There is a nearby dragon village. Spyro can get his wing treated there."

"Very well," Terrador said, "We will depart immediately."

Spyro turned to Sparx. "Hey, Sparx, I need you to do something for me. Can you look for Hunter and tell him to meet us at the village?"

"Uh… No problem." Sparx said hesitantly.

"Thank you, Sparx."

Sparx went towards the location of which he came from, while the others went towards the village.


	4. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5: DARKNESS WITHIN

As the sun set upon the land, the group decided it would be a good idea to camp for the night. Spyro felt especially worn, due to his wounds. But they were safe, and that's all that mattered.

Each dragon chose a spot around a small fire to rest until morning. Cynder lied next to Spyro, and the others spread around the area.

"Spyro," Cynder said once everyone was quiet, "I was just thinking about earlier. You know, when we first woke up?"

"Um…" Spyro could not think of what to say. He did not want to lie to Cynder, but he did not want her worrying about him.

"If something was wrong, you would tell me right?" Cynder asked.

"Of course," Spyro said, "There's nothing to worry about. I'm fine."

"Alright," Cynder said, somewhat hesitantly, "I trust you, Spyro. But remember that I'm here if anything goes wrong."

"I know, thank you Cynder." Spyro replied as she drifted to sleep.

Spyro also drifted to sleep. It was a peaceful sleep, but he did not dream. It was just dark, but strangely relaxing.

After only an hour of sleep, Spyro found himself awake. Someone was calling him to wake up.

_Wake up Spyro, _a voice demanded, _Get up now._

Spyro got up, careful not to disturb Cynder.

_Good, you know how to listen._

Spyro recognized the voice. It was the same voice that he heard at the pond.

"Wh-Who are…?" Spyro began.

_No time for that, get moving. You can't stay here._

"Why not?" Spyro asked… himself quietly.

_It's dangerous here. You can't stray from your mission._

"My mission? Who are you?" Spyro demanded.

_Never mind that, just get…_ The voice was interrupted when Spyro heard movement in a bush. _Told you so._

"Who's there?" Spyro said, waking up Cynder.

_Great, now we have a witness._

"Spyro, what's wrong?" Cynder asked wearily.

"There's something in the bush." Spyro whispered.

Cynder quickly got up, and stared at the bush. She also noticed something moving around. "Sparx?" She whispered to Spyro.

"No, there's no glowing." He whispered back.

They both slowly approached the bush. Whatever was in there knew that they were approaching, and dashed in the opposite direction. Cynder took off after it, but Spyro's wounds kept him from doing so.

Cynder chased it through the woods, but it was fast. It dodged trees faster than Cynder could notice them. Once Cynder caught up to it, it stopped. Cynder examined it more closely.

It stood on two legs, and was cloaked in a black robe with a hood. It took a stance that Cynder had never seen before. Come to think of it, its form was nothing she's ever seen before.

The creature pulled something from its cloak. A small bright silver blade. It through it at Cynder, and she dodged. Once she looked back at the creature, it was gone. Whatever it was, it was gone. After one last scan of the area, she decided to return to the camp.

Cynder took off into the distance, but Spyro could not follow her. He wished he could help her, that he didn't have to stay here and hope that she would be alright.

_Don't worry about her,_ the voice said, _just worry about you, and your survival. Speaking of which, have you thought about getting out of here yet?_

"No," Spyro said, now getting angry with this voice, "I'm not going to leave everyone here, especially if there's danger."

_'Here' is not the problem. The problem is where you're going, the path that you are taking. It's not going to end well._

"What are you saying?"

_If you do not leave now, the Elemental Legends will rise, and they will lead you to your doom. Now if you just…_

"No!" Spyro interrupted, "I'm not leaving, and you can just forget about it!"

Spyro realized he was shouting, and looked at the sleeping guardians. Luckily, he did no wake them.

"I need rest," Spyro said quietly, "let me sleep, and we can discuss this later. Once we are alone."

_We don't have time for that._

Cynder reappeared from the woods. Spyro felt relief run through him as he approached her.

"Cynder, what happened?" Spyro asked.

"It just ran. I don't know what it was, but it obviously wasn't friendly. It threw this at me." Cynder replied as she dropped a small dagger in front of him.

Spyro thought for a little bit. He wondered what this thing was planning to do. Kill them?

"Well then," He finally said, "Let's just rest for now, we'll show this to the others in the morning."

Cynder did not protest. She was extremely tired, and could tell Spyro was too. They both lied down next to each other. Spyro wrapped his good wing around her, and they both drifted to sleep.


	5. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6: A NOT-SO-WARM WELCOME

Flame woke to the sun in his eyes. He lazily stood up, stretched his legs and wings, and walked outside.

"Time for a morning flight." He said to himself. He spread his wings, and took off into the air.

This is what made being a dragon so amazing. Flame felt free in the sky. He felt like he could do anything while he was up here. The wind blew through his red scales, and with each powerful stroke of his wings, he rose higher above the village below.

He looked back and noticed Ember had been following him. He slowed down so that she could catch up with him.

"Hey there," he said once they were side by side, "What are you up to?"

"Trying to keep up with you." Ember said.

"It's tough to keep up with the fastest dragon in the village, isn't it?" Flame chuckled.

"You're not as fast as Spyro, though." Ember said as she zoomed ahead of Flame.

_She's just never going to forget him, is she?_ Flame thought to himself as he rolled his eyes. He surged forward to catch up to her. They both continued this race until they reached a lake.

"This wasn't here before." Ember said as they landed.

"The mystery of the mysterious lake." Flame said dramatically as he took a drink.

While he was drinking, Ember stepped around him.

_SPLASH! _Ember pushed Flame into the lake. Flame struggled in the water for a moment, and then rose back up. "What was that for?"

"I think you know what that was for." Ember said accusingly.

"Oh, come on," Flame said, "You're not still mad about Operation EE, are you?"

"Not anymore." Ember replied as she took off into the air.

Flame stepped out of the water, and shook his wings. "Playing hard-to-get, are we?" he whispered to himself.

Ember landed near some woods. She didn't recall these being here either. She stepped slightly closer, peering deeper into the trees. She jumped when a dark figure darted being a tree. She felt the need to retreat, but at the same time, compelled to discover what this was.

"BOO!" Flame shouted from behind her, causing her to jump two feet into the air.

"Flame!" Ember said, but both her and Flame fell silent as they both heard footsteps in the woods.

Ember turned to Flame. "Flame… What do you think…"

"Watch out!" Flame yelled, and pulled Ember down to avoid a blade thrown from the trees. Flame then stepped between Ember and whatever was in the woods.

"Come out slowly where I can see you," Flame said menacingly, "and I might promise you no harm."

Surprisingly, a dark figure obeyed. It stepped out from behind a tree, that seemed too small for it to hide behind, and slowly stepped towards them.

"Who are you, and why did you try to attack us?" Flame asked.

Instead of answering Flame, the figure drew a longer blade, and held it towards them. "Die beasts!" it shouted.

_Beasts? _Flame thought to himself, _Now he's going to get it!_

Flame opened his mouth and inhaled. When he released his breath, flames came out with it. In a flash of orange and red, the dark figure was covered with fire.

The figure quickly took off its robe, and revealed form. Flame could only compare it to a hairless monkey, covered in cloth. The only hair it seemed to have, was on its head.

Ember stepped forward, also to breathe fire onto the creature. But it dodged back into the woods, running faster than Flame or Ember had time to think about it.

"What was that?" Ember asked.

"I don't know," Flame said, "but we need to get back to the village, and warn the Elders."

Ember did not hesitate to follow him. The Elders would know what to do, they always do.

Once they arrived at the village, the normal morning activities were taking place. The farmers were setting up the markets, the butchers were preparing foods, and civilians were shopping for breakfast.

Ember and Flame worked their way through the crowds towards the Elders' temple. But before they made it, the village warning bell rang.

"Visitors!" The tower guard shouted, "Travelers approaching from the north!"

Ember took off and landed on another tower. There were travelers from the north… dragons; three large dragons and two smaller ones. She recognized the three large ones. They were the Elemental Guardians. And the smaller ones…

No, it couldn't be. One of them was a purple dragon, _the _purple dragon.

"Flame! Spyro's back!" She yelled with all of her excitement and happiness bursting out.

"What?" Flame asked as he landed next to her. "Oh my… it's him! It's really him!

Ember started to hyperventilate in all the excitement.

"Ember, breath, calm down." Flame said, unable to control his own excitement.

_He's back, _Ember thought to herself, _Spyro has returned for me._


	6. Chapter 7

(Sorry for the delay on this one. It took a lot of thought to put this one together.)

CHAPTER 7: OLD MEMORIES

_This is it, Spyro, _the voice said, _None of them are looking. Make a run for it!_

"No," Spyro said quietly to himself, "I'm in no condition to run. No matter the reason, I cannot run away."

_You don't have a choice Spyro. If you don't leave now, you could cause harm to everyone you love._

"What are you saying?" Spyro said. The voice now had his attention.

_You ask a lot of questions. I don't have time to answer any of them._

"Then I see no reason to leave."

_If you want to find…_

"The Elemental Legends?" Spyro interrupted.

_Yes._

"What are the Elemental Legends?" Spyro asked, careful not to let anyone else here him.

_Nevermind for now. Just go to this village and leave as soon as possible._

This voice was starting to annoy Spyro. He was beginning to wonder if it really knew what these 'Elemental Legends' really were.

"So, Terrador," Spyro said, trying to get his mind off the voice, "Can you tell us anything about the dagger?"

Terrador studied the blade for a long time. He observed the shape, and the marking engraved into it. "Unfortunately, there is nothing either of us can tell you."

"However," Volteer said, "There are some very intelligent Elders in the village ahead. Perhaps one of them has the knowledge that you seek."

Spyro looked down at his feet. Even though the world was at 'peace,' there seemed to be many problems surrounding them; dark figures with daggers, a reshaped world, and an annoying voice inside his head.

_I hardly consider myself annoying_

Spyro ignored the voice.

"Spyro?" Cynder asked once she was next to him.

"What? Oh, hey Cynder." Spyro said, regaining his concentration.

"Are you okay? You've been acting strange all day."

"Cynder, I told you I'm fine." Spyro said.

"Hey calm down," Cynder said, "I was just asking."

"I'm sorry Cynder," Spyro sighed, "I just had a rough night."

Cynder just looked at him. "I can tell something's wrong Spyro, I can see it in your eyes."

Spyro sighed, "Alright you win. I'll tell you, but later, for now let's just get to this village."

Cynder nodded. She worried about Spyro. She didn't want him to get hurt any more if he didn't have to. She was happy that he was going to tell her what was going on.

"Spyro!" Everyone looked up to see a red dragon coming down for a landing.

"F-Flame?" Spyro said, shocked, "Is it really you?"

"You better believe it," Flame chuckled, "Man, it's been forever…" He stopped talking once he saw Cynder. "Who's this?"

"This is Cynder, my ma… friend." Spyro said, "Cynder, this is Flame. He was my best friend man years ago."

"I still am your best friend, bro." Flame said excitedly.

"Nice to meet you." Cynder said a little cautiously.

"Spyro!" Another voice said.

Flame and Spyro's eyes met. Both of them had a nervous look in their eyes. Ember.

"Spyro, thank goodness you're back!" Ember shouted hugging him tightly, "Now we can be together forever."

The Guardians stepped back as Cynder stepped forward. She faked a cough to get Ember's attention.

"Who's this, Spyro?" Ember and Cynder said in unison.

"Ember, this is Cynder. Cynder, this is…"

"Ember," the pink dragon interrupted, "My name is Ember. And if you must know, I am Spyro's future wife."

"What?" Cynder said with anger, "Spyro, what's going on here?"

_I eagerly await your response._ The voice said.

"Nothing," Spyro said, "She is just an old friend."

"Oh come on, Spyro," Ember said almost impatiently, "You don't have to be embarrassed by me. Although I do think it's cute."

"Hey," Cynder said with ice in her voice, "Listen here, princess. Spyro's with me, so back off!"

"For your information," Ember said with a fiery voice, "me and Spyro were destined to be together since we met."

"Well I was destined to rule and army of monkeys and destroy the world," Cynder said, "But things change."

"Wait," Flame said, "You're Cynder? The Terror of the Skies?"

She looked at Flame with death written in her expression.

_This is almost too fun. _The voice laughed in Spyro's head.

"Alright!" Spyro interrupted, "That's enough. I need some help with my injuries, and fighting isn't help…" Spyro fell unconscious.


	7. Chapter 8

(To all current readers: My school year starts up soon, so chapters may not go up daily anymore. But I will write and post whenever I can.)

CHAPTER 8: THE CHRONICLER

This was not the first time Spyro passed out in the middle of something important. The Chronicler, and old and wise dragon, would sometimes summon him. But traveling to this realm caused him to faint in the physical world.

Spyro jumped through several floating platforms. After a while, he approached a familiar temple structure.

"Chronicler?" Spyro said as he approached the large doors.

"Yes, come in Spyro." A voice said. But that was not the Chronicler's voice. He recognized the voice, but… could it be?

"I-Ignitus?" Spyro said in shock.

"Yes Spyro," Ignitus said as Spyro approached him, "it is me."

"Y-Your…" Spyro stuttered, "You're the…?"

"For every new age," Ignitus cut in, "A new Chronicler is selected to write the history of that age. I was chosen for this duty, Spyro."

_Oh this is rich._ The voice said.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Spyro said out loud.

Ignitus looked at him, confused. "Spyro, are you alright?"

_Don't his books tell him everything?_ The voice said sounding annoyed.

"Don't worry, Ignitus," Spyro replied, "I'm fine. Can I ask you about something?"

"Of course," Ignitus responded, "I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

"I keep hearing about something called the Elemental Legends," Spyro started, "Do you know anything about them?"

"The Elemental Legends?" Ignitus said to himself, "Just a moment."

A book floated in front of him.

_Told you so. _The voice said, and Spyro ignored it.

"The Elemental Legends," Ignitus began, "A four very powerful elemental dragons destined to assist the purple dragon defeat an evil force."

"An evil force?" Spyro asked, "What does it mean by that?"

"I… don't know." Ignitus responded. "There is nothing else written about them."

"Oh…" Spyro said, "Well, what about the dragons? Who are they exactly?"

"The book explains this, our time together is running short, so I will read this quickly."

Ignitus cleared his throat and read from the book:

The Elemental Legends stand

With honor within their lands

From each element a dragon comes

So the purple dragon does not become

The very monster that they fight

Turning fear into light

The Elemental Legends Stand

Bringing honor to their land

"You are meant to lead these dragons, Spyro." Ignitus said as he finished.

"So the purple dragon does not become the very monster that they fight?" Spyro said, "What does that mean?"

"They will protect you from dark forces that intend to destroy you," Ignitus said, "You must find them and lead them against these forces. Each dragon literally takes the name of the element he or she controls. Your friend is one of them."

"F-Flame?" Spyro said.

"Our time together has ended. I must leave now Spyro." Ignitus said.

The temple and the platforms disappeared, and Spyro fell into the darkness.

"This is new." Spyro said to himself as he fell.

He woke up in a room that he recognized; this use to be his room before he left the village to save the world. He felt safe, and at home. He looked at his injured wing, which was all bandaged and had a splint on it. He probably wouldn't be able to fly for weeks.

The door creaked open, and a pink dragon stepped in. "Oh thank goodness you're awake!"

"Oh, hey Ember," Spyro said, "How have you been?"

"I've been missing you." Ember said stepping closer.

"Listen Ember," he said.

Then several more dragons came in to see Spyro. The guardians, Flame, and Cynder, all of them with worried faces.

"Spyro, are you alright?" Cynder said, sitting next to him.

"I'm feeling better," Spyro said as she leaned her head on him.

"Thank goodness," Volteer said, "You know, I could not scientifically calculate why you languished in such a way. All of your vital conditions were perfectly…"

"Volteer, please," Cyril said annoyed.

Spyro gave Flame a look, and Flame knew exactly what it meant.

"Alright everyone," Flame said, "Let's leave Romeo and Juliet alone for a little bit."

The guardians left the room. Ember hesitated, but eventually left with Flame. Now Spyro and Cynder were alone.

They did not say anything. They just sat together, just allowing themselves to be together.

_You can't spend too much time here, _the voice said, _you have to leave now."_

Cynder ignored the voice, just wanting to be with Spyro.


	8. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9: BROKEN

Once they left Spyro and Cynder alone, the Guardians left to speak with the Elders of the village. Ember sat just outside of the room, and Flame was just about to leave when he saw her.

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

She did not respond. She just looked away from him.

"Ember, what are you doing?" Flame asked again.

She answered with a sniff, and a tear running down her face.

"Oh, Ember," Flame said as he walked next to her.

"He loves her, doesn't he?" Ember said through her sobs.

Flame sighed. The minute he saw Cynder, he knew this moment was coming. He wasn't sure how to handle it. More tears ran down Ember's face. Now that she had seen the truth, she was broken.

"Ember," Flame said, "It will be fine… Everything will be alright."

_Don't waste your time with her,_ A strange voice echoed in Flame's head, _the sooner you leave the better._

"No," Ember said, "It won't be alright. I've lost Spyro, my true love."

"Maybe you and Spyro weren't truly meant to be together." Flame said.

"How could you say that?" Ember argued, "Couldn't you tell since the day we met we were meant to be?"

"Honestly," Flame said reluctantly, "No. I'm sure you 'loved' Spyro, but I don't think he loved you the same way."

"This can't be happening." Ember whispered as she ran away.

Flame hated seeing her like that. "Maybe I should go after her." He said to himself.

_No! _The voice said, _leave her be. You have a job to finish._

"What?" Flame said, "Who are you?"

_I'm here to help you survive. You must leave the village right away._

"Why?" Flame asked, "I have friends here. They can protect me, and I can look after myself."

_It's not like that. __**You**__ are the danger. You could cause harm to everything around you. You have to go where no one can find you._

"I don't understand. I wouldn't do anything to hurt my friends."

_There's no time to explain. Unless you want everyone here to die, you have to leave._

Flame thought about what he just heard. He was too shocked to move. What could he possibly do to hurt everyone?

_Spyro knows what you are. You have to leave, or he will kill you._

"What?!" Flame shouted.

Spyro came out of the room shortly after. "Flame, what's wrong?"

"Oh… nothing," He said nervously, "I'm going to talk to Ember."

"Oh, okay," Spyro said, "After that, come see me; I need to talk to you about something."

"Al-Alright." Flame stuttered, and quickly walked away.

_You have to leave before you talk to him. Even now, he's planning your death._

"No," Flame said, "I trust my friend."

_You sure didn't seem like it in front of him._

"Just… Just leave me alone."

_I can't do that. This is a matter of life and death._

"There's something I have to take care of first." Flame said as he stopped in front of Ember's place, "We can talk later."

Flame took a deep breath and lifted his hand to push the door, but hesitated. He paced back and forth in front of her door, practicing what to say.

"'Now, Ember,'" He said quietly, "'Spyro loves Cynder, and that's just how it's going to be…' No, too straight forward."

He pondered what to say for a short while.

_Just tell her to get over it._

"Why would I do something like that?" Flame replied.

_Because you might need to leave as soon as possible._

"Maybe I don't." Flame argued.

_Of course you do. You don't want to harm your friends._

"What if you're wrong?"

_What if I'm right? If you don't leave now, all of your friends will abandon you._

Flame tried to ignore the voice. He just wanted to make sure Ember was okay. He opened Ember's door and stepped in.

"Ember?" Flame called.

No response.

"Ember?" He called again.

Still no answer.

He searched around to find that she was not there. He rushed outside, and took off into the air. There was no sign of Ember anywhere in the village.

_ I told you._


	9. Chapter 10

(Sorry about the major delay on this one. This is the longest chapter so far, and a lot of thought went into it. Enjoy.)

CHAPTER 10: HUMANS

The Guardians each entered the Elder's temple. Terrador planned to ask them about the dagger the creature used to attack Cynder… If they knew anything about it.

"Ah," The leader of the Elder council said as they walked in, "Elders, we have visitors."

The five council members gathered around to see their guests. The Guardians heard the Elders whispering amongst themselves, but could not make out what they were saying.

"Greetings," Terrador began, "I assume you are the village leaders."

"Yes," The speaker of the council said, "I am Gondril, the Grand Speaker of the Elders. Tell me, why do you come before us, Terrador?"

"I have come requiring your aide," Terrador's powerful voice echoed in the room, "The purple dragon has survived, but not without severe injuries."

"He has been bandaged," Cyril said, "But that will not be enough."

Volteer also stepped forward, "We require your best healers in order to ensure Spyro's survival."

"This we can provide," Gondril stated, "However, we ask you for assistance afterwards."

"Go on." Terrador said.

"We have troubles with another… species of creatures." Gondril continued.

"Another species?" Cyril asked.

"And what precisely do you mean by 'troubles?'" Volteer asked.

"Another race that call themselves 'humans'" Gondril said, "And by troubles, I mean we are at the verge of war. These creatures plan to slaughter our kind."

"But why?" Terrador asked, "Did any of your villagers attack these creatures?"

"Only in defense," Gondril answered, "These creatures strike with metal blades, quick and stealthy."

"Blades like this?" Terrador said as he tossed the dagger in front of them.

"Y-yes," Gondril said, "Almost that precisely. The shape, the engravings, every detail is the same."

"So they are spread across the land." Another council member said.

"It is as we feared," Another one said, "Gondril, we must…"

"The council will be silent!" Gondril shouted, and the others obeyed. Almost too quickly.

"Tell us what it is that you feared," Cyril said, "Perhaps we can help you."

"Well, I suppose…" Gondril sighed, "Very well. We fear that war is inevitable with this race. But we were worried that their numbers were greater than we had anticipated, and what you have witnessed concludes this. This may be a losing fight for the dragons."

"Perhaps we could be civilized about this," Volteer suggested, "We could reach a diplomatic solution."

The council members whispered to each other. Terrador could not understand what they were saying, but the council did not seem fond of Volteer's idea.

Gondril turned back to the Guardians. "The humans are dangerous. By their actions, we have concluded that what they want is battle. I will not send anyone to confront these monsters."

"Then let us," Terrador offered, "We recently ended a horrific age with the death of Malefor. The last thing we need is useless bloodshed. We will negotiate with the humans."

"Very well," Gondril agreed, "We will allow you to carry out this diplomacy. But know this: In one week, if this is not resolved, we will wage war."

The Guardians each bowed and left the room.

"How do we plan on doing this?" Cyril said as they left the temple.

"The humans may be intimidated by our size," Terrador said, "We will need a smaller dragon to complete this."

"But Spyro will need weeks to recover," Volteer said.

"That doesn't matter," Terrador said, "Flying will be dangerous. These humans may have the ability to attack a dragon in flight. I will allow Spyro to take companions with him."

Cyril and Volteer nodded in agreement. The Guardians all went to the house that Spyro was staying in.

Inside the house, Cynder and Spyro still sat together. They both still hadn't said anything. But the voice still said plenty.

_Spyro, this girl is a danger to you. You can't stay with her. She will kill you if you don't leave._

Spyro almost gasped. He could not believe what he had just heard.

"What?" Cynder asked.

"Oh," Spyro replied, "Nothing. My wing just stings a little bit."

_Cynder, you have to leave him. You will cause great harm to him if you don't. Look at him. Do you want to see him hurt more than that? And even worse, by your hands?_

Cynder looked away from Spyro, and stood up. She couldn't look at him with that evil thought on her mind.

"Cynder," Spyro said, "Is everything alright?"

"Y-yeah," Cynder stuttered, "Everything is… fine. I just need to stretch."

_Perfect. Now you can leave while she's up._

"I'll be right back Cynder." Spyro said.

"Okay…" Cynder said confused as Spyro walked out of the room.

_You're leaving? Good. Maybe you're realizing that you should listen to me. Now we can make some progress._

"No," Spyro said, "I'm not leaving. I want to talk to you."

_What? Why?! We can't waste time with these useless discussions._

"I'm not leaving without a good reason."

_Bringing harm to everyone you love isn't enough?_

"How can you be sure that I will?"

_Ugh. I guess I'll start by telling you to forget about everything Ignitus told you. He wouldn't be the first Chronicler to misread a prophecy._

"So what are the Elemental Legends, then?"

_They are dragons from each of the basic elements: fire, lightning, ice, and earth, destined to destroy the purple dragon. Normally this would be The Dark Master. But since you killed him, you are the only purple dragon. And all prophecies happen one way or another._

"If all prophecies happen no matter what," Spyro wondered, "Then how will running away help me? Won't I end up defeated anyway?"

_Well, if you listen to me, you wouldn't be the first to defy a prophecy. And it won't be the first one *you* defied. The purple dragon was meant to destroy the world, but you proved that wrong._

"But what about Cynder? Why is she a danger to me? She's not a Legend, right? Why can't she come with us?"

_You ask a lot of questions. Cynder is dangerous, but I can't explain that right now. We are no longer alone._

Spyro turned to see Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer walking towards him. They seemed like they were in a hurry, and very worried.

"Spyro, we need you to do something." Terrador said.

_Oh great, more distractions. _The voice said, irritated.


	10. Chapter 11

(Alright, I'm thinking about setting up a chapter schedule. On my next post, I'll let you know what that is. I'm thinking something like every Friday...?)

CHAPTER 11: THE TRUTH?

"So," Spyro began, "These are the same creatures that attacked me and Cynder?"

"Yes," Terrador replied, "Despite their attacks, we would like to reach a peaceful solution with them."

"The last thing we want is for you to risk your life, Spyro," Cyril said, "After all that you have already done, you deserve to rest."

"But, even more, we don't want any unnecessary bloodshed with a war." Volteer finished.

_We don't need to get involved with this, _the voice said, _we don't have time._

"I… I have to think about this." Spyro said, "I'll get back with you when I can."

"Very well," Terrador said, "But you should know that our time is not unlimited. The Elders' council has granted us one week to complete this task."

Spyro nodded and headed back towards his temporary home. War was not a good option. Spyro was dedicated to truly making this an era of peace. Maybe he should speak with the humans.

_No Spyro! We cannot afford any more distractions; time is running out!_

"I don't doubt that," Spyro responded, "But I need to talk to someone about this."

_Ignitus? You can't be serious._

"I don't really like the idea of you reading my mind."

_Maybe you shouldn't think so loud. But never mind that. I thought I already told you that Ignitus was wrong._

"I thought you could read my mind," Spyro chuckled, "I'm not going to talk to him about the Legends."

_Why are you so concerned about these humans? If the council wants a war, let them have it._

"Because if the council declares war, hundreds of innocent people will die."

_Thousands more will die if you don't get out of here._

"What?" Spyro demanded angrily, "What will happen if I don't leave?"

_You Spyro. You will happen. You will cause the death of thousands._

Spyro gasped, "W-What?"

_Thousands will die because of you. And…_

"Spyro!" Flame called, "Spyro, I need you."

"Flame," Spyro said, still in shock, "What's wrong?"

"Ember is missing," Flame said, "I searched the whole village; she's nowhere to be found."

_And now you're going to get distracted by this, right?_

"Go for another search," Spyro said, "I'll get Cynder and she'll join you. I'll look around on the ground."

"Alright, but be fast." Flame said, and took off into the sky.

He looked down at the village again. "Ember, where could you be?" He whispered to himself.

_You're wasting time, Flame. She's just a distraction._

"Just a distraction? She's my friend! I'm going to find her." Flame argued.

_You have to leave before your friends abandon you._

"So I have to abandon my friends," Flame said, "Or they'll abandon me. I don't see how running away will help me."

_You have a better chance of survival if you do._

Cynder flew up next to Flame.

"Any sign of her?" Cynder asked.

"No," Flame said, "I don't know where else to look."

Cynder looked down at the village. There were dragons of every size and color; adult dragons were making conversation, children were playing anywhere they could, and others were walking around the village. It all seemed very… normal. Cynder couldn't imagine living a 'normal' life. Ever since she was born, everything has been so strange, so exciting, and so… dangerous.

Cynder noticed someone at the village gates.

"Hey," Cynder shouted down to Spyro, "Hunter's here!"

Spyro looked towards the gate, and there, standing at the village entrance, was Hunter. Flying next to his shoulder, was Sparx. Spyro ran towards them.

"Hunter! Sparx!" He shouted.

"Buddy!" Sparx shouted back.

"It's good to see you Sparx." Spyro said, "It's good to see you, too, Hunter."

"It's good to be reunited with you," Hunter said, "But unfortunately I come with bad news."

"What's wrong?" Spyro said. As if this day couldn't get any worse.

"There is a race in the forest. They have built camps, but they are progressing into full cities."

"The humans?" Spyro asked.

"Yes," Hunter said, "I'm guessing you've met them?"

"A little…" Spyro muttered. "What's the bad news?"

"They've captured a dragon for hostage."

"What? Who?" Spyro demanded.

"A small pink dragon," Hunter described, "She wore a golden necklace with a heart-shaped ruby in it."

"Ember!" Spyro realized.

Flame and Cynder landed on either side of Spyro.

"What's going on?" Flame asked.

"The humans captured Ember." Spyro told him.

"We got to get her back!" Flame said.

"I can help you with this." Hunter suggested.

"I have a plan. I need to talk with the humans," Spyro explained, "I'll meet you guys here in a few moments."

Spyro turned from them and walked towards the town's temple.

_No. _The voice commanded.

Spyro said nothing. He just kept walking towards the temple.

_No!_

Spyro approached the temple, and was about to open the large doors.

_NO!_

Spyro walked into the temple where the Elder Council and the Guardians were discussing.

"I'll do it."


	11. Chapter 12

(I've decided that I will set up a weekly schedule for the chapters. Every Friday, a new chapter will go up. If something happens, and one does not get uploaded, please don't attack my inbox. Just wait until the following week.)

CHAPTER 12: LEGENDS

A yellow dragon sat on the top of a cliff that overlooked the east. It was very early morning, still dark. The moon was setting behind him, and the stars were still shining brightly. The dragon sighed with relief. He loved nature, and everything it offered.

Except for when the land split. That might change some opinions.

But now the land was fixed, and changed. Now there were entirely new landscapes to admire, a whole new breath-taking world.

"Volt?" A voice came from behind him.

"I'm here." He called back.

A dragon came up behind him. She had scales that were as bright as the blue sky, and hypnotic grey eyes.

"Hey, Ice." Volt said when she came into view.

As Ice approached, she stepped on Volt's tail.

"Sorry…" She apologized.

"Don't be, it's fine" He responded, "Careful, there's a cliff here now."

"Don't worry about me," She said, "I can handle myself."

"I always worry about you. One wrong step and you are a goner. What if I didn't say anything about the cliff? What if you were to fall? I wouldn't be able to…"

"Just shut up and kiss me." She interrupted, and so he did.

"So, what did I miss?" Ice said once they separated.

"Not much yet," Volt said, "The sun will rise soon."

Ice sighed. "I only wish I could see it."

"Don't worry," Volt whispered to her, "I'll describe it, and I won't leave out a single detail."

Ice smiled and leaned against him.

"It's still dark," Volt started, "but there is I slight shade of dark green on the horizon."

Ice imagined this in her head. Volt had a way of explaining things. Maybe because he has been doing it for her ever since she became blind, which was on their first anniversary.

"Now there's a line of yellow," Volt continued as he wrapped his wing around Ice, "It almost looks like the land is on fire. The rest of the sky is dark lavender, and the twinkling stars are starting to fade."

Ice could feel the warmth of the rising sun. She could smell the fresh morning air rising.

"And at last," Volt said, "The sun starts to show its self. Bright orange surrounds it, and yellow rays stretch across the sky."

Ice took a deep breath. She didn't want this moment to end.

"The sun is just barely touching the horizon now," Volt continued as their tails twisted into each other, "It's now a bright red ball of fire, and the sky is starting to transform into its bright blue color."

A calm breeze blew towards their faces. The morning scent was now at its strongest.

"The sun takes off into the sky," Volt finished, "And the dew covered grass is sparkling like a field of diamonds."

Ice looked up at Volt, and kissed him again, "I love you, Volt."

"I love you, too."

After a few moments of sitting together, both dragons walked away from the edge of the cliff. Once they reached a certain point of their daily-traveled path, they separated. And after many "goodbyes," Volt was alone, heading towards what's left of the lightning village.

_There,_ the voice said, _you had your morning. Now will you tell her what she is?_

"I don't want to tell her." Volt said.

_You don't have a choice. You told me that you want to tell her yourself._

Volt sighed, "Fine, I'll tell her later today."

_Good. Just remember that time is running out._

"I trust you," Volt said, "You never lead me down the wrong path before."

The voice remained silent. It seemed to do that a lot. Volt could never get it to shut up when he wanted it to. And when he wanted information, it barely spoke.

"Volt!" A frantic voice called.

Volt looked up to see a mole running towards him.

"Hey there," Volt said, "Is something wrong?"

Volt didn't know the mole's name. But to the moles, Volt was practically a celebrity. He was one of the most powerful lightning dragons in the village.

"Our power generators are down," The mole said, "Our elders are sick, and their breathing machines will not work without power!"

"I'm on it," Volt said, following behind the mole, "Take me to the generators."

Volt was led to an advanced looking generator. It didn't seem damaged; it just didn't have any power. He examined it very closely, and removed a few panels. Eventually, he found some sort of power converter. Bingo.

"Stand back," he warned, "This could set off some sparks."

Volt gathered his strength, and inhaled deeply. Once he reached the peak of his breath, be felt the electricity surging through his body, as if he were a lightning rod. Once he released his lungs, lightning bolts blasted from his mouth, striking the converter.

The machine whirred to life as Volt cut off his beam. From around him, he could hear the cheers of the mole family.

"Thank you," One of them said, "Thank you so much. How can we repay you?"

"No need," Volt said, "It was the least I could do."

Volt took off into the air. That was literally the least he could do. He was capable of so much more. Not that he wasn't proud for saving lives, but any ordinary lightning dragon could have powered that generator.

_You know what you have to do, Volt. Get back on track._

"You're right, I guess." Volt mumbled.

Volt tilted his left wing down, and turned in that direction… towards the ice dragon village. Ice needed to know who she was, no matter the cost.

_And then you two need to abandon your villages._

"Wait," Volt almost fell out of the sky, "What?!"

_Oh, like you didn't see that one coming._

"No, I didn't. I thought this whole thing just meant I have to watch my back!"

_Yes, But it will be safer for you to leave. Don't worry, she will come with you. But we must make sure the purple dragon doesn't find you._

"Right," Volt remembered, "The purple dragon wants to kill me."

The voice went silent again.


	12. Chapter 13

(As promised, a chapter for Friday. Just a heads up, please don't be mad at me for the cliff hanger on this one.)

CHAPTER 13: DIPLOMACY

Spyro limped across the battlefield. Now it was clear, but drenched with horror and blood. Spyro feared this could be the end. Each of the Guardians lives had been taken before his eyes. But worst of all, Cynder was dead.

By his hands.

Once Cynder had seen him, she looked so frightened. Spyro was so confused. Then she attacked, slashing with her claws, snapping with her teeth, and slicing with her tail. What did he do to cause her to resort to this?

Spyro hated himself for not trying to reason with her. For some reason, he also resorted straight to attack… and won. But Spyro felt no elation; no sense of victory. Just the cold emptiness inside that reminded him that he took the life of the one he loved.

"Spyro…" He heard faintly. But there was no one around him. How could there possibly be…

"Spyro!" The faint voice was more clear now.

"C-Cynder?" He looked down at her lifeless corpse.

"Spyro," Cynder's voice called again, "Wake up!"

"Cynder?" Spyro asked as he opened his eyes.

It was just a dream. Or maybe a glimpse into the future. Spyro hoped that it wasn't. He never wanted to relive that moment ever again.

"Hey, Spyro," Cynder said, "We're moving now."

"Oh, okay," Spyro replied, "How much longer until we reach the city?"

"If we start traveling now," Hunter answered, "We can reach the city by noon."

"So," Flame cut in, "Why exactly did the Guardians choose not to come with us?"

"Because of their size," Spyro explained, "The humans might attack if something that large approached their city."

"You know…" Cynder said, "We were told to approach the city quietly, so why did we bring him along?"

Cynder gestured to Sparx.

"Can't you go one day without making fun of me?" Sparx complained.

"What?" Cynder argued, "After all the times you cracked about my past, I deserve to get back at you!"

"Guys, come on," Spyro interrupted, "There will be time for this later."

"Yeah, Cynder," Sparx said, "Don't be picking fights."

"Oh you little…" Cynder caught herself, "Fine, let's get going."

Hunter and the dragons packed up the camp, while Sparx watched and made sure they were okay.

_Cynder, _The voice said, _you have to convince Spyro to turn from this path. It's too dangerous for both of you._

Cynder thought about this. This voice has been telling her that she could kill Spyro if they keep traveling this path. But what path is this? Why did this voice object to it?

_Listen to me, there is much more at risk than you know. We can't be wasting time with human affairs._

Cynder walked next to Spyro, "Spyro, can I ask you something?"

"Of course Cynder," Spyro replied, "What is it?"

"Have you ever had the feeling that we're being led down a wrong path?" Cynder asked, "Like we're not supposed to be doing this?"

"At first, I did," Spyro answered, "But then the humans took Ember. That's when I knew this was the right choice."

"Right, of course," Cynder said, "But still, what if these humans overpower us?"

"Cynder," Spyro said in a serious but gentle tone, "We defeated the Dark Master together. As long as we are fighting side by side, I'm sure nothing will overpower us."

"Spyro," Cynder said hesitantly as their eyes met, "The last thing I want is for you to be hurt. If something goes wrong and we break into a fight, you would be defenseless."

"I know," Spyro said, "And I hate the thought of being useless, but you will be next to me. No matter what, I will be with you once this is over."

"Spyro…" Cynder began, but stopped once her eyes locked with Spyro's. He was just so brave. No matter what the danger, he was always willing to rescue someone.

"There's an entire village of dragons depending on us," He said, "I need you to be with me through this."

Spyro and Cynder leaned closer to each other. Cynder felt a tingle down her spine, and almost lost her balance. Spyro leaned even closer, and kissed her. After a few seconds, Cynder realized she still had to breathe. When they broke apart, they looked deeply into each other's eyes.

"I'm with you." Cynder said.

_No! We were so close to turning him from the path of death!_

"I love you, Cynder" Spyro said.

"I love you, too."

"There it is!" Sparx shouted.

Spyro and Cynder looked forward, but saw nothing. They looked at Sparx for an explanation.

"I had to get your attention somehow." Sparx cracked, "Now please save the gushy love stuff for when I'm not here."

"You never leave us alone." Cynder said.

"There," Hunter said, "The human city."

Spyro observed the magnificent walls. As dangerous as they were, these humans had amazing architecture. Every detail of the wall was hand carved. And the gates… crafted by hand as well.

"Hunter," Spyro said, "How long has the humans worked on this?"

"They work very quickly," Hunter said, surprised by the progress, "Three days ago, these were merely foundations; concrete slabs on the ground. They must have worked overnight…"

Hunter regained his concentration, and put his ear to the gate.

"It seems there is no one behind here." He said.

"What do you mean?" Spyro asked as Sparx flew above the wall.

Sparx answered when he flew back down, "He means there's no one behind it. Everyone's gathered at the town center."

"Sparx…" Cynder said sounding surprised, "You did something useful."

"I have my moments…" Sparx said.

"The gates can only be opened from the inside," Hunter said, "Cynder, can you fly over and open them."

"Sure," Cynder said, "No problem."

Cynder took off above them, and flew over the nearly 20 foot wall. When she landed on the other side, she noticed a lever that must have controlled the doors. She pulled it, and several chains began to unravel. The gates slowly opened.

"Cynder…" Sparx said sounding surprised, "You did something useful."

"Shh," Hunter ordered, "You're making too much noise."

"Getting a sense of déjà-vu, Sparx?" Cynder whispered.

"Aren't you going to tell _her_ to be quiet?" Sparx complained.

"No," Hunter replied, "She whispered."

Sparx sighed, "Alright, I got the message."

"Let's get moving," Flame said, "We have to find Ember."

"I agree," Spyro said, "Come on."

The group split up to scout the town center from different angles. Flame went around several buildings until he found an alley with a good view of what's going on.

The humans were all cheering at a pedestal, but nothing was on it. But Flame had a bad feeling about it. Something very bad was about to happen.

_So why don't you leave? The humans have their own ceremonies. You don't need to get involved. You just need to worry about surviving._

"Would you keep it down?" Flame snapped, "I'm trying to concentrate."

A human dressed in a black robe stepped towards the pedestal. When he raised his arms, the crowd cheered. When he drew a jagged dagger, they cheered even louder. What was going on here?

"For years," The human began, "We as humans have survived by discovering what heals and what harms; what brings bliss, and what brings death. We have learned to find and exploit our weaknesses. And now, I stand before you with our greatest threat of this time."

He gestured behind him, and two really big men dragged something on chains. Something pink. _Ember._

"I stand before you," The human continued, "To ensure you that you no longer have to fear, you no longer have to hide, you no longer have to cower! The threat of the dragon race will be eliminated! I will bring you a safe night's rest from this abomination! This 'cleansing' starts now, with the symbolic sacrifice of one of these foul creatures!"

Flame's heart jumped to his throat. He had to do something, but he couldn't move. The men dragged Ember's limp body onto the pedestal. The human raised the dagger above her chest.

"_Vae Victus!" _The human shouted.

Flame's jaw dropped.

"Stop!"

Flame realized that it was not him that shouted. Another human stepped onto the stage.

"Stop this madness, you hypocrite," The second human shouted, "You are no better than the creatures you so despise! We are human beings, not savages!"

"Stand down Janos." The first human said, "Know your place, and be satisfied with it."

"I will not stand down for a madman." Janos opposed. "And I will not stand for this. The dragons are far more intelligent than you think."

"If you wish to join the beasts," The first human said angrily, "Then you will suffer their fate!"

To Flame's surprise, the crowd cheered this on. This was insane. How did these humans make it this far acting like this?

The first human slammed Janos onto the pedestal, and raised the dagger.

"_Vae Victus!_" He shouted again.

"Stop!" This time, Spyro shouted, and just before the dagger fell.

Spyro stepped out of his hiding place. Flame and Cynder landed on either side of him.

"What is this?" The human said looking at Janos, "Is this your doing?"

He lifted Janos from the pedestal, only to slam his face back into the concrete. This man clearly overpowered Janos. As he raised his dagger again, and arrow launched into his hand. Hunter stepped out of his hiding place, and grabbed another arrow, and readied it in his bow.

The human threw Janos behind him, "Be gone dragons! Your kind is not welcome here!"

"But you kidnap our kind for sacrifice?" Spyro protested.

"You dare question my rule?" The human preached as he pulled the arrow from his hand and tossed it behind him, "You question our ceremonies?"

He turns to speak to the crowd, "You see? The dragons intend to destroy our way of life! First they question our beliefs; it is only a matter of time before they turn against us!"

"No!" Spyro said, "The dragons don't want to fight you! We came back for our friend!"

"They plan to destroy our glorious city!" The human continued, ignoring Spyro, "Will you allow our hard work to be crushed?"

_"No!"_ The crowd shouted.

"Then I bid you, kill these creatures!"

_So much for diplomacy._


	13. Chapter 14

(It's a little early, but still technically Friday. Enjoy!"

CHAPTER 14: SPARK THE FIRE

The humans had a variety of weapons: swords, spears, pieces of wood they found on the ground… The list goes on. But nothing shocked Spyro more than the idea that these civilians were so easily persuaded by their leader.

Spyro blocked many attacks with his good wing, and countered with his horns and claws. But when someone took a war hammer to his wounded wing, Spyro fell to the ground. He clenched his teeth so tightly that his jaw hurt.

"Spyro!" He heard Cynder shout.

Using her fear abilities, Cynder made the humans cower away from her. She cloaked herself with the shadow element, and she attacked. The humans were defenseless against her. Spyro smiled when he saw her fighting like this… for him.

The human leader drew a sword and charged at Cynder. As he slashed, Cynder defended herself with her wing. As powerful as a dragon's wings are, Cynder's could not withstand the blade, and Cynder's left wing was split.

"No!" Spyro shouted.

_Yes, Spyro! _The voice said, _Let this anger for this race course through you! Let it take over, and use it against him!_

Spyro felt the rage build up as Cynder fell to the ground. Spyro stood up, and walked towards the human. His scales began to darken, and his eyes started to glow. When the human saw him, Spyro could see the fear in his eyes.

Darkness now hovered around Spyro. It had completely taken over now, and he was ready to let it out.

Spyro opened his mouth, and inhaled. The human raised his sword, and took his battle stance. Spyro released his breath, and a beam of Convexity shot from his throat.

The human's sword absorbed the beam. When Spyro cut off his beam, the human was untouched, and his sword glowed with heat.

"I'll tear you apart with my claws!" Spyro shouted, realizing that the voice spoke in unison with him through his voice.

Then, the human is impaled with the arrow that was shot at his hand, wielded by Janos.

"Run dragons! Escape this dark place!" he shouted.

Flame dashed towards Ember's unmoving body, but the two men who had dragged her stopped him from approaching.

"Alright," Flame said, "You asked for this!"

The men raised their war axes.

Flame smirked, "Medium-rare, or extra crispy?"

The men charged towards Flame. "I'll take that as extra crispy."

Flame inhaled, and released a wall of flames. The men were practically cooked alive. They both dropped lifeless, and Flame proceeded towards Ember.

"Ember!" Flame shouted as he broke her chains, "Come on, and get up! We have to get out of here!"

"F-Flame?" Ember mumbled, still dazed, "I-Is that… you?"

"Yes! Please get up Ember! We have to get out of here!"

"You came here to rescue me?" Ember's voice cracked.

"Of course! But the rescuing part isn't over. We still have to survive getting out of here. Now come on, and let's go!"

Ember weakly stood up and followed him. Flame came here and risked his life to save her.

Flame noticed Spyro in the battlefield. He was… different. And scary. He looked like he could kill someone with the snap of his fingers. Cynder approached him cautiously.

"Spyro," she said, "come back to me. Don't let this happen, I don't want to lose you."

"He almost killed you, Cynder," Spyro said, "I have to finish him."

_Yes! Finish him off and move on! Get rid of the obstacles and complete your mission!_

"No, Spyro," Cynder pleaded, "He's not worth it. We have to get out of here."

Spyro looked into Cynder's eyes, and transformed back to his original self. But along with it, all his physical pain returned. His legs shook at the pain of his wing.

_No!_

Spyro looked around and saw Flame and Ember. They signaled towards the exit, and Spyro nodded.

"Hunter!" Spyro shouted, "Find Janos! Bring him with us!"

Spyro and Cynder rejoined with Flame and Ember, and Sparx flew behind Spyro. All of them took off towards the entrance. Once they saw the gates, Spyro looked back to see Janos running after them, and Hunter behind him firing arrows at the mob behind him.

The dragons made it out of the city, and looked back. The gate guard cut a rope holding up thick metal bars. As Janos ran across the threshold, the heavy bars slammed on his foot. Spyro and Cynder ran back for him, and carried him to safety.

"Hunter!" Spyro shouted as he realized that Hunter was still trapped inside the city.

"Don't worry about me!" He said, "Run! Return to the village! Warn them of the humans' plans!"

Spyro did not argue. He ran alongside Cynder while they both carried Janos. Spyro took a glimpse behind him, only to see Hunter being dragged away by the mob.

Spyro felt his strength leaving him, "We have to stop… I can't run anymore."

Cynder nodded, and the group settled at their last campsite. They all knew they would not have much time, but every minute counted at this moment.

"Spyro…" Cynder said, "Your wing…"

Spyro looked at his wing, and nearly vomited. Nothing on Spyro's body was supposed to bend like that. The wing was now broken in several places, and completely dislocated from his shoulder, and the skin was completely shredded. Some of Spyro's bones were showing in several spots of the wing.

"Perhaps I can help." Janos said.

Spyro examined Janos. His face was covered with blood from being slammed into the pedestal. He was standing on one foot, the other broken and bloody.

"You have your own problems to deal with," Spyro said, "I can't ask you to do this."

"You saved my life," Janos insisted as he hopped on one foot towards Spyro, "As far as I'm concerned, I owe it to you. This is the least I can do."

Spyro turned to allow Janos to examine the wing. He observed it with a deep sympathy.

"Cynder," Spyro said noticing Cynder's wounds, "I'm sorry. I caused this."

"No, Spyro," Cynder protested, "This is not your fault."

Spyro looked at Cynder's wings; one broken in several places, the other split by the human's sword.

"Yes it was," Spyro continued, "I showed them the side of me that they fear. I let my anger consume me… I sparked a war."

"Relax," Janos said, "Zachurr is a madman; driven insane by his lust for power. He wanted a war as soon as he saw your kind. Now hold still, I have to re-break your wing."

"What?!" Spyro shouted.

"Your wing is out of place," Janos replied, "It will not heal properly unless it is in its right place."

_SNAP!_ Spyro gritted his teeth. It was painful, but at the same time, relieving. Janos placed the bone back in place with Spyro's shoulder.

"There," Janos said as he finished, "I can bandage you once we arrive at your village."

Janos turned to Cynder, "May I assist you with your wing?"

Janos pulled out a small needle and a string for stitching. Cynder reluctantly allowed him to examine her ripped wing.

"This may sting a little." Janos said as he pressed the needle against Cynder's skin.

Ember and Flame sat together on the other side of the small camp. Flame wasn't severely wounded; just some scrapes and bruises. Ember was still slightly dazed. It was obvious that the humans brutally tortured her… but for what?

"Ember," Flame said, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah…" she replied, "I'm just a little shaken up."

"What happened back there?" Flame asked, "What did they do to you?"

Ember sobbed. Flame slid closer to her, and wrapped his wing around her. Ember laid her head against his chest. She wanted to tell him everything, but couldn't find the words.

"F-Flame…" Ember stammered as tears ran down her face.

"Shh," Flame comforted, "Everything will be right again."

"No, Flame," Ember wept, "Nothing will ever be right again. Not after what they did to me."

"What did they do to you?" Flame demanded.

"They said they were just going to run tests…" Ember said, barely able to control her sobs, "They cut at me, poked me, jabbed me with a bunch of metal… but then…"

Ember's sobs took over her voice. Spyro's attention was now on her. These humans crossed the line.

"Ember," Flame said as he knelt before her, "What did they do."

Ember looked up, but not at Flame. She just looked straight ahead. Flame could see scars on her…

"They 'tested' on my eyes." Ember finally said, "I can't see anything."


	14. Chapter 15

(I _was _going to swap to other characters, but I decided that would be too mean, based on how the last one ended. Enjoy!)

CHAPTER 15: THIS IS WAR

Spyro found himself frozen in disbelief at what Ember said. Why would anyone do this to her? Why would they want to torture such an innocent person?

"Ember," Spyro said as he walked up to her, "What exactly did they do?"

"T-This guy…" Ember stuttered, "He said he wanted… to enhance my eyesight."

Flame held her tightly. He knew she could never forget what had happened, but he would be there to help her through.

"Don't worry, Ember," Flame said, "We'll figure everything out. Let's just work on getting to the village first."

"Ouch!" Cynder yelled, breaking the few seconds of silence.

"Sorry," Janos said immediately after.

"Be careful!" Cynder snapped.

"I'm almost done," Janos concentrated, careful not to poke the needle through another nerve, "There, finished."

Cynder carefully stretched out her wing. Once the blood was cleaned off of it, it might have looked a little better. But that would have to wait until they got to the village.

"You won't be able to fly until it heals completely," Janos explained, "Otherwise, it will just rip again."

"No flying," Cynder repeated, "Got it."

Spyro looked around at the group, and wanted to curl up into a pathetic little ball. All of his closest friends had suffered greatly; and all because of the cruelty of one man.

"Come on, everyone," Spyro said, "We have to get back to the village."

"And set up a defense," Janos said, "I know what Zachurr is like. In only a matter of moments he'll have an army marching on the village."

"Just stay with me," Flame said to Ember.

"I'll try," Ember replied.

Once they were all ready to moved, they all began to walk towards the village. However, Janos didn't make it past the first step. Somehow he had managed to forget that five-hundred-pound metal bars smashed his foot. He fell to the ground in pain.

"Don't let me hold you back," he said once he noticed the group stopped for him, "I'll catch up."

"No," Spyro said, "We're not leaving you behind."

"I will not be able to walk with you…" Janos responded.

"All the more reason to take you with us," Spyro argued, "Once the human armies pass through here, you would be killed."

Janos sighed, "Very well. But how would you help me? I am stuck here."

"Hop on," Cynder said as she knelt next to him.

"No," Janos insisted, "After all you have already done for me; I cannot ask this of you."

"You saved our lives," Cynder said, "At the cost of your foot, and your place within the humans. It's the least we can do for you."

"If you insist," Janos said.

He gently climbed onto Cynder's back.

"You're a lot lighter than I expected," Cynder said, surprised.

"I suppose you could say that I am small for my kind," Janos explained as the group moved towards the village, "I was never a man of war. I had no reason to fight. Therefore, I never took the time to build a muscular stature."

"You weren't a man of war?" Spyro asked.

"No no," Janos replied, "War is for brutes. I was a man of science. I saw what this world truly had to offer. I wanted to explore the vast possibilities and share it with my kind. But leave it to the brutes to use my discoveries for barbaric purposes."

"What do you mean?" Cynder asked.

"Well," Janos answered hesitantly, "My duty was to study the dragons. I thought it was to perhaps educate our young, to teach them of the amazing creatures that lived outside our walls. But I was deceived; Zachurr only wanted to find your physical weaknesses. If I had only known…"

"That's horrible…" Spyro sympathized.

"Well, there's more to it." Janos continued, "Once I discovered his intentions, I refused to share another single scrap of information with him. That's when I was under _exilium._

"_Exilium?_" Cynder asked, "What's that mean?"

"It's Latin," Janos explained, "An ancient language. We only use it for some terms. The word means 'exile.'"

"You're an exile?" Spyro asked.

"Well, somewhat," Janos answered, "I was more on _probatio_, or under close watch for any further interference."

"Interference with what?" Spyro asked.

"Zachurr's plans," Janos dreadfully answered, "We were not allowed to question his judgment."

"Is that why no one hesitated to attack us once he gave the order?" Cynder asked.

"No, not exactly," Janos said, "They followed his order so well because of his ability to persuade others. The very way he speaks draws others in. And he knows this; and uses it against his enemies."

Spyro thought for a little bit about the way Zachurr spoke to his people. He had a very powerful sense of leadership. But his words were deeply biased. He spoke of the dragons as cruel and relentless savages, despite what Spyro had said to him.

"He said something else in Latin," Spyro remembered, "Right before he tried to kill you, and Ember. Something like _Vay Victors?"_

"_Vae Victus,_" Janos corrected, "It means 'woe to the conquered.' It's something ancient warriors use to shout as a victory cry. However, Zachurr uses it as a taunt."

Spyro took a moment to absorb all of this. Somehow this tyrant managed to use a dead language in a horrible way.

"Wait a minute," Spyro said looking around, "Where's Sparx?"

"I thought it was a little too quiet." Cynder smirked.

Spyro searched frantically for his brother. But he was nowhere to be found. Would the humans have him? Would they capture a _dragonfly_ as a hostage?

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Cynder said, "He's been in some tough situations. And he's got Hunter with him."

Spyro remembered seeing Hunter dragged out of sight. Hundreds of people all insanely moving in unison to pull his friend away from him. It was horrific. As horrible as these people are… Who knows what Hunter is enduring?

"That's what worries me," Spyro said, "If Sparx is with Hunter, then both of them are in trouble. I got them into this mess. I have to help them."

"Let us get to the dragon village first," Janos said, "We must recover before they send an attack."

"We're almost there," Flame said.

"Janos," Spyro said, "I don't know if the village members will like you being in the village. They're already angry with humans in general."

"Don't worry," Janos replied, "I won't make a scene."

The group approached the village. Spyro took a look at the worn walls before they entered. These were not fit for any battle. They were designed to keep wandering animals out. They would have to strengthen their defenses.

As they entered the village, the other dragons stared at them. Mostly at Cynder, with Janos on her back. They dragons mumbled amongst themselves. Spyro couldn't make out what they were saying, but it didn't sound positive.

Flame and Ember went towards their own huts, while Spyro and Cynder headed to the temple. Spyro limped his way up the stairs, and opened the stone door. When he entered, the Guardians and the Elders were waiting for him. Their faces became fearful when they say Spyro's wounds. They were expecting good news.

"I am afraid to say," Spyro looked directly at Gondril, "Our attempts for diplomacy have failed. Their leader is insane. He wants us dead so that he can be the ultimate being."

"Then why," Gondril asked, "Have you brought this human before us?"

Janos climbed off of Cynder, and limped forward.

"I am Janos," he said, "I stand before you begging for your mercy."

Spyro looked at the Guardians, who were all clearly confused.

"Why should we grant you mercy?" Gondril responded angrily, "Your kind has slaughtered ours, and for what reason? To become the ultimate race? Why should we be compelled to place our trust in you?"

Spyro was about to say something, but hesitated when Janos looked back to him. His expression said: _Let me handle this._

"I have betrayed my kind," Janos pleaded, "I have been cast out by my race because of my allegiance with you. These dragons saved my life, and in return, I helped them."

"Precisely," Gondril argued, "You betrayed your kind. How long shall I wait before you betray ours?"

"If you wish to wait for me to betray _you_," Janos said, "Then you shall wait forever."

Gondril's expression became surprised, "The council will discuss this in private."

The Elder's went into another room, leaving Janos with Spyro, Cynder, and the Guardians. Spyro and Cynder walked over and informed the Guardians of what happened. Janos limped to the other wall, and sat down, sorting out his thoughts.

He pulled out a small book, which he wrote in whenever he thought. He didn't like to think of it as a diary, so he just called it his journal. He wrote:

_The 23__rd__ of April:_

_Entry 153:_

_I am very impressed by the architecture the dragons have created. Years must have been put into the amazing craftsmanship. But even more impressive is the fact that they have a stable governmental system. Five leaders all work together in order to carry out decisions. We as humans would have never done such a thing. Zachurr loves his power too deeply._

Janos closed his journal, and looked at the dragons who were now observing him.

"Yes?" He asked.

"What's the book for?" Spyro asked.

"Oh, this?" Janos said, "This is merely a journal. I write in it whenever my mind if full of thoughts."

"Can I ask you something?" Spyro asked as he struggled to walk towards him.

"Of course," Janos said, "within reason."

"When you were ordered to study us," Spyro began, "What kind of things did you study? What kind of things did you find?"

"As much as I possibly could," Janos said, "Anatomy, bone structure, bodily functions… Things that most people find boring."

"And you don't?"

"Of course not, I have a deep passion for finding out how things work. I wanted to discover everything _Orbis Terrarum _had to offer."

"Orbis Terrarum?" Spyro said, confused.

"My apologies," Janos responded, "It's Latin for _planet Earth_."

Spyro thought for a while. There had to be at least one other humans like this. Or is it possible that all of them are brutes, and Janos is just an outcast?

"May I ask you a question?" Janos asked.

"Within reason." Spyro replied.

"I don't think I ever got your name." Janos said.

"I'm Spyro, and she is Cynder," Spyro gestured to the other dragons, "The green one is Terrador…"

"Earth," Janos said.

"Um… Yeah," Spyro said, "How did you know?"

"His name has Latin within it," Janos said, "_Terra _means Earth."

"Wow," Spyro thought, "Oh, anyways, the yellow one is Volteer."

"Wielder of Lightning," Janos said in amazement.

"Yes," Spyro said with awe, "And the blue one is Cyril."

"Lord?" Janos asked.

"What?" Spyro replied.

"Well," Janos said, "Cyril is an ancient word for lord. Not quite as ancient as Latin, but still unused. Is he the leader here?"

"Um, no," Spyro said, "he's the Guardian of the Ice Element."

"Guardian?" Janos asked.

"Yeah, each of the larger dragons are guardians of the basic elements; Earth, Ice, and Lightning."

"Isn't fire one of the basic Elements?" Janos asked.

"It's a long story…" Spyro said.

"Another time then," Janos said as he noticed the Elders returning to the room.

The Elders took their position in the chamber. Spyro looked at their expressions. They looked worried, but certain of their decision. Gondril stood at the highest point in the room, and spoke three simple words.

"This is war."


	15. Chapter 16

(Getting back to Volt and Ice for a little bit. And you get to meet Ice's overly protective brother.)

CHAPTER 16: PROPHECIES

Volt darted as quick as lightning (no pun intended) towards the Ice dragon village. He couldn't avoid this moment any longer. Ice had to know who she was, and what was meant to happen to them. And then…

_Get as far away from here as possible._

"Right," Volt responded to the voice.

Volt went into the village. The streets were full of both dragons and moles. The markets were full this morning. Volt worked his way through the crowd towards Ice's house. When he arrived, he hesitated to knock when he heard shouting from within.

"Why do you love him so much after what he did to you?" A voice shouted. It was most likely Ward, Ice's brother, who hated Volt. Volt could never find the exact reason, maybe for hurting his little sister.

"He never wanted this for me," Ice yelled back, "Why do you hate him so much?"

_This should be interesting._

"He took your eyesight from you!" Ward argued, "Accident or not, he hurt you!"

"Do you think he wanted to?" Ice said coldly (no pun intended), "Volt would never do anything to hurt me! Not on purpose!"

"I just want to protect you," Ward said quietly, "I don't want to lose the last of this family that I have."

With those words, Volt's heart dropped with guilt. Ice's family used to be the biggest in the village. That was before the ground split the village into several pieces.

"I can take care of myself." Ice said. Volt heard her storm away. After a while of hesitation, Volt knocked.

Volt waited only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Just when Volt was about to knock again, Ward answered.

"Hello…" Ward stopped when he realized who knocked, "What do you want?" he said harshly.

"Well, good morning to you, too, Ward," Volt said, "Is Ice here?"

"She's always here," Ward spoke in a dark and hateful tone.

"Right…" Volt mumbled, "Can she see me?"

Ward just gave him 'the death stare.' Volt realized the somewhat cruel irony of what he just said, and decided to rephrase it.

"Sorry… Can I see her?"

Ward thought about this. He didn't want to upset his sister even more, so he gestured Volt inside. He didn't say another word.

"Thanks," Volt said.

Ward remained silent.

Volt took the message, and headed to Ice's room. Her door was shut and locked. Volt knocked on the frozen wood.

"Go away," Ice replied.

"If you insist," Volt said in a sarcastic tone.

"Wait, Volt?"

"Yep," Volt feigned a serious tone, "but I'm going away, like you said."

"Oh, get in here." Ice opened the door and let him in.

"Your brother seems like he's in a good mood."

"Oh… Um… Well," Ice stuttered.

"You don't need to explain," Volt said quietly, "I heard the fight."

Ice's expression became mortified, "Oh my… How much did you hear?"

"Just starting at 'how could you love him.'"

Ice dropped her head. Even though she couldn't see, she couldn't bear to look in Volt's direction.

"Ice, I need to ask you something," Volt broke the silence.

"Um… Sure, what?" Ice murmured.

"Have you ever felt like you were part of something… bigger?" Volt began, "Like you were some kind of piece to a giant puzzle?"

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Ice… You and I are part of a prophecy," Volt waited for her to laugh at him. But instead, she stared with concern, almost interest. "It says there are four dragons extremely powerful with the element that they come from."

"That…" Ice thought for a little bit, "explains a lot."

"Well, that's not all," Volt continued, "You see, we're supposed to be considered so powerful, that sometimes we lose control of our strength."

Volt remembered when he had made Ice blind. He just had so much power… too much to control.

"And?" Ice asked.

"Um… The purple dragon…" Volt hesitated, "The dragon that can wield all four elements, is prophesized to destroy us because of our extreme power."

Ice stared with a blink expression, as if to say 'definitely not what I expected.' Volt didn't expect her to accept this fact immediately, probably not at all. But at this point, there was no running from it.

"I thought the purple dragon saved the world." Ice mumbled.

"Yes, and it was supposed to be the Dark Master who came and destroyed us, but since he was defeated, there is only one other purple dragon. And…"

"All prophecies happen one way or another." Ice interrupted.

"Yeah…" Ice had taken the words straight from Volt's mouth. Maybe she knows a little more than Volt figured.

"Volt, I have to tell you something," Ice admitted.

"Sure," Volt said, "What is it?"

"You're going to think I'm crazy," Ice began, "But just try to keep an open mind."

Volt started to worry about this. Normally when Ice had something to tell him, some dark secret to release, she normally just told him without hesitation.

"I've been hearing this voice," Ice finally said, "In my head; it will tell me to do certain things. Lately it's been telling me to leave my home."

"Actually," Volt responded, "That's why I'm here. I've been hearing a voice too. It's been telling me to get out of here."

"I don't trust it," Ice said, "It just sounds… dark. It's been telling _me _that we have to go to the fire dragon village."

"Maybe we should listen to it." Volt said.

_It's about time someone listened._

"I don't know," Ice said, "It just all seems very suspicious. And I don't want to leave Ward behind."

Volt hesitated. He was hoping to avoid Ward entirely, but now he had very little choice.

"We can bring him with us," Volt offered, "That way we're safe, and you don't lose your family."

Volt saw Ice's hesitation. She definitely didn't trust anything the voice was saying. But she trusted Volt.

"The voice hasn't led me in the wrong direction so far," Volt assured her, "I see no reason that we shouldn't trust it."

"If you insist," Ice said reluctantly.

Volt stepped closer to Ice, and kissed her. She smiled, and followed him out of the room. Ward met them outside the threshold.

"Where do you think you're going?" He said.

"You mean where _we're _going?" Volt corrected.

"No, I meant 'you're," Ward said, "You're not taking my sister anywhere. She stays with me."

"You misunderstood me," Volt corrected again, "By _we_, I meant you too. Pack up, Ward, we're going to the Fire dragon village."

Ward stared in disbelief. He looked over to Ice, and saw her expression. They were serious about this.

"Why are you going there?" Ward questioned.

"For our safety," Ice said, "We need a safe place where no one else can find us."

"You shouldn't go to the fire village then," Ward warned, "There's a war going on there."

"A war?" Volt asked, "What do you mean?"

"The fire village is going to war with another race." Ward repeated.

_Go there anyways, _the voice insisted. Volt looked over to Ice. She seemed like she heard it too, but Volt couldn't tell if it was saying the same thing to her.

"We have to go anyways," Ice said, "We don't have a choice. We could die if we stay here."

Ward was still shocked by this. They wanted to leave the safety of the village, to seek out another that's at war. This was suicide.

"I won't let you go." Ward said. Ice looked down, but quickly looked up when he said, "Alone."

Volt stumbled in shock. He didn't expect Ward to go through with this. But Volt was thankful that he didn't have to put up the argument that he had practiced.

"Hold on," Volt said, "You're going to do this for us?"

"Not you," Ward said, "For her."

Ward gestured to Ice. As usual, he was standing up for his sister, but at the same time, he casted Volt aside. Volt knew that Ward wanted him gone, away from Ice. But Volt refused to let that happen.

"Whatever you say," Volt murmured.

"Let's get moving," Ice suggested.

Ward cut off his piercing stare at Volt, and they all went outside. Volt stayed close to Ice, even though he knew Ward didn't want that.

"Do you know how to get to the fire village, Ward?" Ice asked.

"Not anymore," Ward admitted, "The world changed a couple weeks ago. I'm not sure where anything is anymore."

"Then I guess I'm leading this," Volt said.

"Like you know where it is?" Ward questioned.

"Well," Volt said clearing his throat, "As a matter of fact, I do. We go west for a few miles, then turn northwest for about thirty more miles, and _ta-da, _we're there."

Ward sighed, "Alright, lead the way."

Volt stepped out of the village before the others. He instantly had a look of fear in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Ward asked.

"We need to get back in there," Volt ordered, "Right now."

"What are you talking…?" Ward choked on his words, "Oh my…"

"What?" Ice asked, "What's going on?"

"Ice, get back inside." Ward ordered.

Ice felt vibrations in the ground, almost like marching feet. A lot of marching feet.

"What's wrong?!" Ice repeated.

"Two-legged creatures," Volt said, "Lots of them. And they have war machines."


	16. Chapter 17

(It's a little late, but it's still Friday where I'm at. If you've been following along, you know that there is one more Legend that has not yet be revealed... until now. This also introduces a couple new human characters, one you'll like, and one you'll hate. Enjoy!)

CHAPTER 17: THE VIRTUES OF MAN HAVE CEASED

"Let us run another one," The man said, "This specimen is very interesting; an earth dragon."

The man's pupil's cooed in excitement. It was terrifying that they _wanted_ to see the horrifying tests.

The dragon woke to find herself in the cage once again. She had fallen unconscious from the last experiment. The room was dark, lit up by a few torches along the walls.

"Please," her voice cracked, "No more tests. Just leave me alone."

The humans didn't listen. Nor have they ever. She was just another test subject, forced to work herself to death, or be cut by a knife held by another maniacal scientist.

"If you will point your attention to these notes," the scientist continued, "You will see a… mediocre example of the experiment that we will be performing. As you can see, this was performed on the most common type of dragon; fire.

The earth dragon listened to the students read from the note pad.

"Eyesight enhancement…" One said sounding very interested.

"The specimen is pink," another read the description, "And wore a golden necklace with a heart shaped ruby. It called itself Ember."

"What's that one called?" Another asked.

"It has called itself Terrene," the head scientist answered.

Terrene listened as they referred whoever Ember was as a thing. They did the same for her, just proving that they don't care. Every day, they became more cruel. Their tests became harsher. The only rest Terrene got was when she passed out. But she always woke to another test, far worse than the last.

"If you read the experiment," the scientist said, "you will find that it is very simple, and somewhat barbaric. But we can improve this. You, my pupils will be assisting me in this project."

The students cheered in delight. But the excitement ended when a messenger walked into the room.

"Kane," The messenger called, "Zachurr requires your presence."

The scientist sighed, "Very well. Students, you are dismissed. Future tests will be postponed until tomorrow."

The students all sighed with disappointment, and left the room.

"What is this about?" Kane asked the messenger in frustration.

"Lord Zachurr asked for your presence," the messenger responded, "His reasons are his own."

"I am trying to teach our young about our enemy," Kane retorted, "If I am constantly called to pointless meetings, then I will never be able to acquire the answers _he_ desires."

"This is different," the messenger argued, "We are now going to war!"

Kane became as excited as a small child on a holiday, "Are you sure? Is it truly happening this time?!"

"I'm sure of it. Zachurr may want to discuss war plans."

"I'll be there right away." Before the messenger could say anything, Kane ran off to collect his notes.

The messenger left the room, leaving Terrene by herself. She would be able to rest for the rest of the day without any more jabbing or cutting.

"Can I have some water?" Terrene asked as Kane was about to leave.

Kane turned back to her. He was disgusted by the question, but he walked over to a goblet of water. He took a small sip, and splashed the rest into Terrene's face. Kane left the dungeon without saying a word.

Terrene curled herself up. She felt tears forming in her eyes. _No_, she thought to herself, _No crying. You are strong. You are…_

Suddenly she uncontrollably burst into tears. She felt ashamed even though nobody was around. Any other time, she was able to control these harsh feelings.

_Get a grip on yourself._

Terrene looked up when she realized that wasn't her voice in her head.

"Who's there?" She asked.

_No one. Just you._

"Who are you?" She asked… herself.

_I am you. I am a new form of your conscience mind. I developed once you were prophesized._

"Prophesized for what?" Terrene asked the voice.

_Many things. I can explain later, but right now, you need to find a way out of here._

That would be the difficult part. These bars were made of metal. Before, they were made of stone. But Kane quickly changed that when he realized Earth dragons could alter everything that made up the ground at will. So he switched the rock slabs with iron bars.

Terrene heard footsteps, and looked towards the exit. She became worried when she realized the footsteps were coming from behind her. She looked back to see someone putting a small bowl of water between the bars.

"Here, dragon," the human woman said, "You need this more than I do."

"Um… Thanks," Terrene replied, and took a drink.

Terrene observed the human, and saw that she was also locked inside of a cage.

"Who are you?" Terrene asked.

"I am not important right now," She responded, "You are though. You must find a way out of here."

"But how?" Terrene asked, "These bars are metal."

"Very true," The human said, "But remember, metal is only purified Earth."

Terrene looked at the bars. 'Metal was purified Earth.' The words echoed in her head. She leaned forward, twisted her head, and clamped her jaw on one of the bars. She willed all of her power to the metal, and sure enough, the bar bent. Terrene bent several more until she had a wide enough opening to slip out of the cage.

Terrene darted for the exit with excitement, but stopped when she remembered the human that helped her. Terrene went back to her cage.

"Hold on," Terrene said, "I'll get you out."

"No," she replied, "Your life is far more important than mine. You don't need to risk yours for me."

Terrene had already bent a bar, "You helped me. Now I'm going to help you."

The human said no more as Terrene bent another bar. The human now had enough room to slip through the bars, and did so hesitantly.

"We must act fast," she said.

"Whoa, slow down," Terrene said, "Can I get your name first?"

"My name is Crystal," she replied, "And you're Terrene. I heard the tests that they ran. But let's save this discussion for another time."

"Right," Terrene focused, "Let's move."

They darted up the stairs together. Once they arrived at the top of the staircase, they proceeded over the threshold with caution. The streets were entirely cleared. Everyone must have been attending the meeting Kane was so excited about.

"It's clear," Terrene said, "Let's go."

"Hold on," Crystal hesitated, "I have to find out what they're planning."

"What are you talking about?" Terrene was baffled.

"The meeting area is a large and open stadium," Crystal explained, "If we could just get close to it, we can hear everything."

"Won't there be guards at the stadium?" Terrene questioned.

"Yes, but they will be inside," Crystal explained, "The guards are mostly there for keeping people inside."

"Alright…" Terrene replied reluctantly, "But we have to make it quick."

"Of course," Crystal reassured.

They both moved swiftly towards the stadium. On their arrival, they instantly heard a man's voice.

"Lord Zachurr," Crystal said, "Some lord."

"Let it be known that on this day," Zachurr's voice echoed loudly through the stadium, "We have a declaration of war with the beasts."

The crowd cheered wildly, sending chills down Terrene's spin.

"We made this decision," Zachurr continued with his persuasive tone, "When precisely seven hours ago, we were attacked. We were ready to perform our symbolic sacrifices. And as many of you have witnessed, we were infiltrated, and betrayed. Betrayed by a man you all know, and trusted. Obviously, he has chosen his path. Janos has been forever banished from our civilization, and is to be killed on sight."

Crystal gasped when she heard this, and collapsed in shock.

"What?" Terrene said, "What's wrong?"

"N…no," Crystal stuttered, "Not… Janos…"

"What's going on? Who's Janos?" Terrene asked, being sure not to alert anyone.

"N… never mind," Crystal said, getting a grip on herself, "We need to find him. Janos is our only chance of countering Zachurr's forces."

"Hop on," Terrene said, kneeling down.

Without hesitation, Crystal jumped onto Terrene's back, and they took off into the sky. They went straight for the nearest dragon village.


	17. Chapter 18

(For personal reasons, the chapter did not go up last week. But due to stressful times this week, I decided to adjust the schedule. Instead of Chapter Fridays, we will have Spyro Saturdays! [woo hoo, alliteration!] Enjoy!)

CHAPTER 18:

"2 o'clock!" Volt shouted.

Ice froze another human solid in that direction. Volt chained several humans with bolts of electricity. They were able to hold most of the humans out of the city, but they kept pressing their attack.

"They're not backing down, are they?" Ice asked as she knocked the frozen human towards the others.

"Not yet," Volt said, "But we'll make them."

"I hope it goes as easily as you make it sound, Volt," Ice said nervously.

"So do I," Volt said, trying to sound confident.

The battle raged, and the humans began to move their war machines forward. Catapults and rams rolled forward to break down the walls of the village. Several dragons took to the sky to fend them off from above.

Little did they know that the humans' weapons could shoot them out of the sky.

"Ice!" Ward shouted, "Come on, we have to get to the inner city!"

"No!" Volt said, "It's too dangerous, we have to get out of here. It's our only chance!"

"Are you insane?" Ward said, "Dragons were shot out of the sky! Do you expect us to fly out of here? And what about Ice?"

"I'll make sure she makes it," Volt argued, "We won't survive if we fall back deeper into the city. Getting out is our only chance."

"No, it's too dangerous," Ward said, "Ice, you're staying with me."

"Ice, wait," Volt said, "Ward, I don't care if you want to get yourself killed in there. But Ice gets to choose for herself."

Ward was shocked by this, and so was Ice. Volt never stood up against Ward like that.

"Fine then," Ward finally said, "Ice, what are you going to do?"

Ice thought about this. Volt sounded like he knows what he is doing, but she didn't want to leave her brother behind.

_Survival before attachment,_ the voice told Ice, _go with the choice that will allow you to survive._

"Ward," Ice said, "I'm sorry. I'm going with Volt."

"Ice," Ward said, "This is crazy; you'll die up there."

"That's why I have Volt," She said, "He can help me get around."

Ward looked infuriated, "Fine. Go on, get yourself killed! I'll stay here and help our family."

Ward flew away. Ice was stunned by his words. Volt walked up next to her, and gently put his wing around her back.

"Come on," Volt said, "I'm sure he'll be fine."

Ice nodded reluctantly, and they took off to the sky. Volt gave her directions to dodge the humans' weapons, and sure enough they made it out of the city. They landed far enough from the battle to stay out of sight.

Volt looked at Ice. Her beautiful features were tightened. What Ward said was having a hard effect on her.

"Ice," Volt said, "I'm sure Ward didn't mean it like you think."

"I'm a coward," She said.

"No you're not," Volt reassured her, "You're the strongest person I know."

"I'm not strong, Volt," Ice said, "When you're not with me, I can't even walk around without tripping on something."

Volt wrapped his wing around her shoulder, "That's why I'm here. I'm not going to leave you, Ice."

"You can't watch me forever," Ice argued, "You have to look out for yourself."

"Well, Ice, this works both ways," Volt said, "What am I without you?"

"You're Volt," Ice said.

"Well, yeah, that's my name," Volt replied, "But who is Volt without Ice?"

Ice leaned her head on Volt's shoulder, "Lonely," she said.

"That's right," Volt said, and kissed her, "I need you just as much as you need me, just for different reasons."

_Not that I don't enjoy a little dramatic romance, _the voice interrupted, _but you need to get going. The humans will be approaching soon._

"Come on," Volt said as he kissed Ice again, "We should get going."

She nodded, and they both walked away from the sounds of war. Ice still felt the heaviness in her heart from walking away from her home. But for now, she would have to carry it.

"Alright, we're going to have to fly," Volt said, "When you take off, swerve a little to the left. There's a tree right above us."

"Got it," She responded. "And, Volt, thank you."

"It's no problem," Volt said. "It's just a little branch. You might have been able to…"

"No," Ice interrupted. "For everything."

She took off into the air, dodging the tree branches Volt told her about. Volt quickly took off to catch up with her.

"Where to?" She asked him.

Volt scanned the area. Though the landscape had been changed, he could still get his bearings from up here.

"Let's see," he said. "Ten o'clock. We're heading to the Fire dragon village."

They turned slightly to the left. Volt did not have to worry too much about Ice while they were up here. There weren't any obstacles that she could run into…

_WHAM!_ Something smacked right into Ice, and both she and the figure were crashing to the ground.

"Ice!" Volt surged towards her as she fell. She and the figure crashed into a lake below.

"No!" Volt yelled.

As he approached the water, Ice busted from the lake, and crashed into him. They both toppled onto the shore.

"Get off of me!" Ice shouted, swiping at him with her claws.

"Whoa, Ice! It's me!" Volt shouted in response.

Ice stopped, but only after she had dug her claws into Volt's leg, and he screamed in pain. Volt fell to the ground.

"Oh my…" Ice said, horrified. "What have I… Volt, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Volt said. "It's just a scratch…"

Volt tried to stand, but winced to the pain in his leg. Ice's claw had pierced through his muscles, and possibly scrapped the bone.

"No…" Ice said. "You're badly hurt aren't you? Can you stand?"

"Of course I can…" Volt's words were cut off by the pain in his wound. Blood began to drip down his leg.

Ice sniffed the air, "Is that blood?"

"Ice, calm down," Volt said, "It's alright, I'm fine. We need to get going. I can still fly."

"If you say so…" Ice said hesitantly, and extended her wings. She quickly realized that flying was a bad idea when her wing was instantly overwhelmed with excruciating pain.

"Ice, what's wrong?" Volt asked.

"My wing…" she said. "I think it's broken."

Volt limped towards her to get a closer look. And unfortunately, she was right.

"I think you're right," Volt said. "We will have to travel on foot."

He tried to walk, but fell on his first step. His wounded leg gave out as soon as it received pressure.

"This isn't going to work," Ice said. "What are we going to do?"

"Don't worry," Volt reassured her. "We can figure this out."

Volt noticed something coming out of the water.

"4 O'clock!" Volt shouted.

Ice turned around, and froze part of the lake. A green dragon and a human were now frozen ankle deep in the ice.

"Hey," The green dragon shouted, "Let us go!"

"I think you're fine right where you are," Ice said. "Now, who are you?"

"And why do you have one of those with you?" Volt said, gesturing to the human.

"Who we are doesn't matter," the human said. "But our mission does. We must reach the fire dragon village. The rest of my kind intends to destroy them."

"With war machines?" Ice asked, "Like they did to my village?"

The human looked astonished, "Look, I am sorry. I have left my kind to aide yours. I am opposing the other's viewpoints. A dear friend of mine was cast away for sharing my common beliefs, and I was jailed. Terrene here, helped me escape. But we are running out of time."

Volt sighed, "Let them go."

"What?" Ice said, "These two just knocked us out of the sky!"

"I know," Volt said. "But we don't have a choice. We have to travel slowly because of our wounds, and we can't defend ourselves. Besides, we are all going to the same place."

_Great, more distractions,_ The voice complained.


	18. Chapter 19

(Alrighty, a brand new chapter. I have some news for you fantastic people. If you are an artistic person, you might like to know that I am holding a drawing contest. If you want to draw one or more of the new characters that I have created, do it. I would like for you to send it to me at xabtiz . I will choose the winners, and make a cover for the story. I don't mind whether it is drawn through a computer software, or classic pencil and paper. Even after the cover is made, I will accept submissions until the end of time. Enjoy!)

CHAPTER 19: ARRIVAL

"Ouch!" Ember yelped as she stubbed her toe on yet another piece of furniture. She was definitely going to need to see if it was broken.

Or have someone else see it for her.

She used her wings to feel around for her bed. After a few moments of looking, or feeling, she finally located the side of it. Ever so slowly, she pulled herself onto it, and curled into a little ball.

This blindness was the worst thing that had ever happened to her. But she would make it through this. Or at least she would try.

She jumped when someone opened the door. Without her sight, she depended heavily on her other senses.

"Hey," a familiar voice called. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure Flame," She replied.

She listened to Flame shut the door behind him, and walk towards the bed.

"How are you doing?" Flame asked.

Ember sighed, and held out her paw, "Does this look broken?"

"No," Flame answered. "Just a little bruised."

Flame hopped onto the bed next to Ember, "Did the humans wound you? I mean, besides your eyesight?"

"No," Ember said, "Well, they would have, if it wasn't for you saving me."

"Ah, that was… nothing," Flame smirked. "I was just looking out for my friend."

Ember put her paw on Flame's, "Thank you for being there for me."

Flame looked into her eyes, which looked straight ahead.

"You're welcome, Ember," He said.

"Flame?" Ember said.

"Yeah?" Flame replied.

"I've been thinking about Spyro," She said. Flame rolled his eyes, and was careful to hold in his sigh. Spyro was his good friend, but ever since he left, he was all she would ever talk about.

"What about him?" Flame asked.

"I've been trying to chase him down since we met," She said, "I've always believed that we were meant to be together, forever. He's a hero. But… Flame, he's not _my_ hero. He will always be my friend, but I think someone else has taken that special place in my heart."

"Y… yeah?" Flame stumbled on his words.

Ember leaned her head against him, "I think you are all I need. When you're with me, I almost feel like losing my sight doesn't matter anymore. I want you to be with me."

Flame wrapped his wing around her, "Don't worry, I won't be leaving you anytime soon."

_I beg to differ,_ the voice said.

Flame shushed the voice in his mind, not wanting to look like a fool in front of Ember.

_We don't have time for this! You need to prepare for battle. Do I need to remind you that your village is at war?_

"Flame, what's wrong?" Ember asked.

"Oh… nothing. Why do you ask?" Flame said.

"You're getting all tensed up," Ember replied.

"Sorry," Flame said, "I guess I'm just nervous about the war and all."

"Don't be," Ember said. "We'll make it through. Besides, we have Spyro fighting for us, and he saved the world, right?"

_Not if you keep wasting time like this._

"And," Ember continued, "We have each other."

_Oh please, _the voice complained as Ember kissed Flame.

"You're right," Flame said. "We can make it through this."

They sat together silently while they could.

In another room, Spyro sand Cynder did the same. With their wounds, they couldn't do much more than that.

Cynder had allowed Spyro to drift to sleep. She knew he would need rest for the battles ahead.

But Cynder couldn't sleep. She had too much to worry about.

_Your only worry should be making your way out of here, _the voice echoed.

"Wonderful," Cynder whispered. "Your opinion means a great deal to me."

_There's no need for hostilities. My only intention is to rescue you._

"All you've been trying to do is separate me from my friends," Cynder said. "You've been trying to make me leave this village, and you've been trying to separate me from Spyro. What could you possibly be saving me from?"

_Yourself._

"You don't make sense," Cynder argued. "In fact, you never do. Ever since I could hear you, you've always talked in riddles. Whenever you 'appear,' you give me this instant sense of dread. Who are you?"

_Who I am doesn't matter. There are more important things, like your life, for instance. You dread me because you choose to. You need to stop worrying about little details, and look at the major picture. The first step is getting this war over with._

"What happened to getting out of here?" Cynder asked.

_Well, now that this war has begun, getting out of here isn't going to solve anything._

"Well," Cynder said, "That was…"

_True? Wise? Something you didn't expect from an 'evil' voice inside your head?_

"I never called you evil…"

_I know everything you're thinking. You never trusted me from the start. Well maybe it's about time you did. Get Spyro up. You will have visitors soon._

Cynder looked down at Spyro. For the first time since the incident at the human city, he looked peaceful.

"You know what," Cynder said. "I'll scout the area, and let him sleep."

_That's not a very wise decision. You claim to be at your strongest when he's with you._

"I can handle myself," Cynder said. "Besides, I'm just going to walk around the walls."

The voice remained silent. Cynder gently got up, careful not to disturb Spyro. Despite her efforts, Spyro slowly woke up.

"Where are you going?" Spyro asked.

"Just out for a little walk," Cynder answered. "But you need to get your rest. Go on back to sleep."

Cynder walked up to Spyro, and kissed him.

"I can't argue with that," Spyro said, smiling.

"I'll be back soon," Cynder assured him.

Spyro nodded, and laid his head back down. As he drifted back to sleep, Cynder left the room.

She walked out into a chaotic street. Several dragons and moles were running back and forth, carrying armor, weapons, and other objects of war. Cynder worked her way through the crowd towards the outer wall.

There were stairs carved on the inside that Cynder used to reach the top of the walls. She scanned the landscape for any signs of an enemy.

"Cynder," Someone said, causing her to jump.

"I'm sorry," Janos said. "I did not intend to frighten you."

"You didn't _frighten _me," Cynder said. "You just… surprised me."

"Very well," Janos chuckled. "I did not intend to surprise you. I wanted to ask you about something."

"About what?" Cynder said.

"About me," Janos explained. "Most everyone else in this village seems to despise me, believing that I was the cause of this war. And in a way, I am. But you, nor Spyro, appear to feel the same revulsion towards me. Why is that?"

"Well," Cynder replied. "You did save us from the city. And you help Spyro and me with our injuries. I guess not hating you is the least we could do. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no particular reason," Janos said. "Who doesn't love feeling as though they don't belong anywhere because of the fact that no matter where you go, there is someone glaring at you for something that happened in your past?"

Cynder looked at him, shocked. "I know what you mean…"

"Really?" Janos asked. "How so?"

"I have kind of…" Cynder hesitated, "a past that I regret. I use to be known as… the Terror of the Skies."

"You are the Terror of the Skies?" Janos asked. "For such an innocent creature such as you, that is preposterous."

"Trust me," Cynder said, "I wish that was true. I regret everything… And sometimes I feel like I can't make it through anything. There's someone always telling me that the Dark Master will find me. But then Spyro saved me."

Then the bells near the outer gate began to ring.

"Travelers approaching!" The gate guard shouted.

Janos and Cynder made their way to the main gate. Down below them stood three dragons and a human. Cynder didn't recognize any of them.

"Crystal?" Janos said. "Crystal, is that you?"

"Janos?" The human shouted back.

"Open the gates," Janos told the guard. "These are friends."

The gates slowly crept open. The dragons and Crystal walked in. As Cynder and Janos met them below, Crystal instantly embraced Janos.

"At last," she said. "We are together again."

Cynder walked towards the dragons. "And who do we have here?"

The green dragon glared at Cynder.

"You…" the dragon said. "Your eyes… Your Cynder… The Terror of the Skies."

Cynder felt like her heart dropped to her stomach.

_At some point, a chapter will end without another distraction,_ the voice complained.


End file.
